Ham on Wry's author has received several versions of an e-mail calling for an amendment to the constitution that will place several restrictions on members of Congress and has long believed an amendment would correct some of the grave ills that occur when an elected Senator or Representative spends a lifetime in Congress. That said, Ham on Wry warns against leaping to action without applying extensive research and reflection in crafting a new amendment.
Given the current mood of a majority of Americans, Ham on Wry suggests that a proposed 28th amendment focus soley on imposing term limits on all members of Congress, beginning after the amendment has passed during the year it is adopted. For the sake of clarity, readers will find the latest version of the e-mail Congressional Reform below with comments that follow.
"The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18-year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Given the current mood of a majority of Americans, Ham on Wry suggests that a proposed 28th amendment focus soley on imposing term limits on all members of Congress, beginning after the amendment has passed during the year it is adopted. For the sake of clarity, readers will find the latest version of the e-mail Congressional Reform below with comments that follow.
"The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18-year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.
I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. 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. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. 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. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. 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.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Maybe it is time.
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!
If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete. You are one of my 20+. Please keep it going."
Many readers have probably received a similar e-mail in the past month. On first reading, it seems that everything makes sense, until you apply a fact test. Number two calls for all members of Congress to participate in Social Security; however, they have done so since 1983. Number five suggests that Congress lose its current health care plan, but Senators and Representatives choose from the same array of health care options offered to all federal employees. The other ideas have merit, so why does Ham on Wry want the 28th Amendment to deal only with term limits?
The answer relates to the 22nd Amendment, which states that the President of the United States shall serve no more than two terms in office. No logical reason exists for our Commander-in-Chief to serve a maximum of eight years, while members of Congress have no such restriction. Certainly no one can defend that disparity by saying that the duties of Congress surpass those of the President in complexity. Given that our President has limits, it makes sense to impose the same type of limits on Congress. When an amendment attempts to cover too much ground, as the ideas in the e-mail, it reduces the chances of its passage.
Determining how many total years member of Congress can serve proves difficult because all representatives serve two-year terms and all are up for re-election in even-numbered years (pay attention readers, because next year voters can show disapproval for the House of Representatives in the recent debt-ceiling negotiations). Senators are elected for six-year terms, except under special circumstances, such as when a Senator leaves office before the end of a term. Ham on Wry suggests that members of Congress serve no more than twelve years. This would eliminate pork barrel legislation, undue influence of lobbyists, losing touch with the real world, etc. Citizens can petition for a new amendment, and now is the time to do it, while the ridiculous finagling that occurred in debt reduction debates still stirs strong emotions. This blog encourages comments and welcomes readers' ideas. Bring it on and let's get it done!
