News from the Citizen Advocates
by Staff
Reforms in Congress are never likely to happen with or without Trump. Congress critters 'make-up' the rules that protect the deep state as well as themselves.. but some suggestions on 'representative 'reform for the reader to contemplate are in order.
This means that a Congress person doesn't draw a retirement after one elected term if voted out as do members of the Senate. Nor should Senators be fully vested after one 6 year term. Nobody else is eligible for a partial retirement benefit after 6 years.
(2) Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security.
Factcheck.org likes to attempt to falsify the claim that Congress doesn't participate in Social Security by citing that they pay SS taxes but they don't get their retirement money from SS like everyone else does and that's the real point here. Investopedia notes: "While many Americans are struggling to save for retirement and employee pension programs, both public and private, are facing lots of uncomfortable realities, elected representatives and senators in the United States Congress still receive envious pension benefits for life. Retirement pay for Congress is not normally a big election year issue, but it might serve as evidence of a disconnect between lawmakers and mainstream America.
(3) Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
Payraises are automatic. Roll Call claims:"Current law provides for often-blocked automatic salary increases. " No need to go on record before your constituents as having voted to raise your own salary. Bad for re-election.
(4) Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
This means a member of Congress must pay his or her own health care premiums just as the public does after this law was forced upon them without subsidies as WAPO notes: "The ACA requires members of Congress and many congressional staffers to leave the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program and join the health-care exchanges in the District. Through the federal plan, lawmakers and their staff members had about 70 percent of their insurance premiums covered by the federal government." They are still currently receiving health susbsidies.
(5) Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
And this means NOT voting yourself exemptions to the law while claiming to be under it as in The Hill Report "..House rule for AHCA & Member of Congress health care waiver exemption bills were issued tonight. Both will be voted on by House Thursday. pic.twitter.com/TYWD7qO17n" Whether or not ia bill actually passes. This necessarily means not creating LOOPHOLEs and other chicanery like claiming to be a 'small business' to dodge laws imposed on the rest of the country, as Forbes reports: "And No, It's Not Legal -.. The reason is that federal law would not allow members and staff to keep receiving a taxpayer contribution of up to $12,000 toward their premiums if they enrolled in individual-market Exchanges. Yet putting Congress in a small-business Exchange isn't exactly legal, either."
We the People further expect:
A reform measure that prosecutes and removes human traffickers that just happen to be a Speaker of the US house as in Dennis Hastert who was an active pedophile during his tenure. Disobedient media reports: "Bucceroni recounted the presence of convicted pedophile and former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert during the Ronald Reagan fundraising after-party:.." The usual 'truth detectors' like Fact Check. org, SNOPES, etc won't debunk this so easily.
NO Slush Funds to pay off accusers of Congressional misdeeds. Member of Congress must be removed from office on confirmation of illegaity, NO exceptions as in BREITBART Reports: "Disgraced ex-congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) settled sexual harassment charges from a least two male staffers for an estimated $100,000 after he resigned in 2010 ahead of an ethics investigation into the claims, multiple sources told ABC. Disgraced ex-congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) settled sexual harassment charges from a least two male staffers for an estimated $100,000 after he resigned in 2010 ahead of an ethics investigation into the claims, multiple sources told ABC.."
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work.
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