TaxMama Note: This proposal is making it’s way across the Web via email. There’s a lot of wisdom in this, it you really look at the original intent of the Founding Fathers. They envisioned Congress being a citizen’s duty. Go to the Capitol for a while, serve as the spokesperson for the needs of your state (Senate) or community (House). Then, you go back home to your farm, plantation, business, and community. It was never meant to be a career.
Any changes or reforms must be done on the national level. The problem with setting term limits only on a state level is, the states that do that are penalized. Key committee seats and leadership are assigned based on seniority and longevity in Congress. So those legislators from states with term limits will never have any power if all legislators do not have the same term limits.
1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below..
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms
2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
