THE 28th AMENDMENT - A REFORM GREATLY NEEDED

From the Desk of: S King
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The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before 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. Thus:

The 28th Amendment or more known as: The Congressional Reform Act of 2011

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.

    a.  All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately.
    b.  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.

    a.  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.

The Gunny WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the above idea from S. King who emailed this plan to the Gunny. Here are the Gunny's amendments to the above plan:

1.  ALL serving Senators and Congressmen/women SHALL live on Ft McNair in the barracks to reduce any and all costs to the taxpayers.

2.  ALL serving Senators and Congressmen/women eat in the chow hall, on a meal card, just like the troops do. If it is good enough for me, it is good enough for thee! Lunch, unless they pay for it out of their own pockets, will be a box lunch from the chow hall.

3.  ALL serving Senators/Congressmen/women SHALL travel to/from their respective offices via the Metro from Ft McNair to DC. This simplifies security and lowers the cost of Congress using luxury vehicles ala Charlie Rangel and his taxpayer funded Cadillac.

4.  ALL serving Senators/Congressmen/women SHALL go to sick call during their time in session at Fort McNair UNLESS they pay for private medical care out of their own pocket. This applies to dental as well.

5.  ALL serving Senators/Congressmen/women SHALL travel via COMMERCIAL air ONLY, in economy, on AUTHORIZED missions ONLY, just like the rest of the government employees have to do UNLESS they fund their travel from their own pocket. If so, NO reimbursement is authorized for any reason.

6.  Under NO circumstances will ANY serving Senator/Congressmen/women engage in diplomatic missions, ala Hanoi John Fonda Kerry and the Paris Peace talks, Iraq peace talks, Afghanistan, etc. ANY violations will result in immediately charges under the Logan Act and removal from office.

7.  Congress SHALL ONLY be in session for 180 days UNLESS there is a declared national emergency. Otherwise, they shall work out of the offices located within their states and be available to their constituents during normal duty hours.

8.  ALL staff will be paid for at a GS level not to exceed GS 7 and no more than 4 staff members per Sen/Cong. All staff WILL reside in the barracks at Fort McNair during sessions.

9.  ALL elected officials from the Senate and Congress, along with their staff, WILL have an SSBI background investigation AND urinalysis tests at random intervals. Again, what is good for ME, is good for THEE!

10.  ALL elected officials, upon any misconduct, of any type, no matter how minor, SHALL immediately be removed from office and charged under the laws of the United States and the State they are from WILL appoint a replacement from the same party.  

SAVED ROUND:

ANY elected official who elects to run for HIGHER office SHALL immediately resign his/her current position and the State from which they are from SHALL appoint someone from the same party to take their place.