The U.S. Congress (House and Senate) will NEVER vote to enact term limits upon themselves! They have no incentive because we the American voters are dumb enough to keep electing the crooked, lying, cheating and stealing spin-masters time after time! We gripe and complain but we act like there is nothing we can do about it. Well, there is something WE CAN and MUST DO!
IMPOSE “VOTER SANTIONED ONE TERM LIMITS!”
We, the commonsense middle-class American voters must impose the “Voter Sanctioned One Term Limits” on every representative, senator and the President in every election cycle. This will completely disrupt the current political system and help us elect a congress that will embrace these necessary reforms:
1. “VOTER SANCTIONED ONE TERM LIMITS”
a) Representatives: One (1) Term Two (2) years Elections every even year.
b) Senators: One (1) Term Six (6) years Elections – 1/3 of Senate every even year ( Class I, II & III )
c) President: One (1) Term Four (4) years Election every other even year (2016)
2. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. They will not get a pension plan or salary for life!
3. Congress (after the reform act is in place) can participate in Social Security like all other American citizens and a self funded 401K with a maximum of five percent matching funds by the government while they are in office.
4. Congress will no longer get more vacation time than employees that work for the average large American corporations. Congress will not get more sick days, vacation days or holidays than any regular company employee does. The American citizens own the government and our employees should not expect special privileges or to be treated any differently than the average American employee of a private sector corporation!
5. Every member of Congress will have their annual salaries reduced by twenty-five percent. The average salary of $174,000.00 will go to $130,500.00. The 25% reduction will extend to their pay for committee assignments and other incentive pay they may receive.
6. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will increase according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 3%, which ever is smaller.
7. Congressmen may not accept a gift of any kind or nature from any business, private company, public or private corporation, special interest group, lobbyist or individual with a value of more than $50.00 period.
8. Congressmen will no longer have free use of government planes or other transportation for their personal use including campaigning or personal business. They will no longer be allowed to use taxpayer money for campaign expenses including mail outs to their constituents.
9. Congress loses their current Cadillac health care plans and they participate in the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) health care system just like the average American citizens!
10. Congress must equally abide by ALL laws they impose on the American people, including the law against insider trading in regard to the stock market. Every elected office holder, president, vice-president, senator or representative; as well as any cabinet member, staff member or government employee has to abide by the same laws as all other U.S. citizens including the health care laws.
11. Any and all government contracts, past and present, with Congressmen or their direct family members are void effective the last calendar day of the year that this reform is enacted.
12. All congressmen and senators as well as their administrative staffs, will be required to wait a minimum of five (5) years after leaving office before they may go to work for any lobbying organization, special interest group or act as a liaison between individuals, businesses, private or public corporations and the Congress of the United States of America.
The American people did not make the current contracts with members of Congress. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves, and in most cases they are direct conflicts of interest with no benefit for the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor and privilege, not a career. The founding fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so our representatives, senators and the President should serve their one term of office and then go home and back to work in the private sector.
“Voter Sanctioned One Term Limits” are critical in electing honest men and women to congress that want to serve the American people and do what is best for our country instead of what is best for their own selfish gains. Career politicians are driven by power, greed and self-serving motives and we must put an end to this; THE STATUS QUO – HAS GOT TO GO!