The following, bold and italicized, text is from a 2009 post regarding congressional term limits.
“The current Congress seems to be the best argument for imposing term limits! The Democratic leadership is constantly pushing bills through that many of our elected officials–even those in their own party–have never had a chance to read or comment on! For this writer, I am not even certain that these actions are even permitted by the rules of the House or Senate, but Speaker Pelosi seems to believe that her actions are above reproach!
I am advocating a LIFETIME maximum of 2 terms–per person regardless of political affiliation–in the same office. Since it is pretty much a given that the elected officials in Congress will not author this legislation on their own, then this will have to be a grass roots effort by the people of the United States if we want to take back the power of our elected offices from those who would abuse it!
I am not a constitutional scholar by any stretch of the imagination, so I am looking for some input from someone who is to help us get this grass roots effort started and to get it rolling! I am assuming that this is a long term commitment for those of us who are serious about getting our Congress cleaned up. If someone has some other items that you think should be on our agenda, then please contribute them by posting them to this blog.”
Back in 2009, I posted the above text about term limits. I am still convinced today that is as applicable as ever. The United States of America is in SERIOUS need of some new Amendments to our Constitution. I am completely in favor of convening a Convention of States to draft a set of proposed new Amendments that will be submitted to the States to be voted on one-by-one to be ratified (or not) by each state. Should any of these proposed Amendments meet the 3/4 of the states mark to become part of the Constitution, then they will be ratified as such!
I am by no means a lawyer, but I intend to write what I believe a new Amendment might need to say in my own words. You may agree or disagree.
- Term Limits For ALL Elected Officials. Every Member of Congress should be allowed a lifetime maximum of 2 terms in the U.S House of Representatives, and 2 terms in the U.S. Senate with a minimum gap of 4 years between ANY terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and ANY terms in the Senate!
- After Leaving Congress, ALL former members MUST wait for 10 years to pass before being retained in ANY capacity to lobby or consult with ANY part of the Federal Government.
- All Executive Branch Agencies, bureaus, commissions, departments, services, or other organization under the Executive Branch may ONLY PROPOSE rule changes. For ANY rule changes to become law, levy fines, penalties, or carry jail/prison time, they MUST be put into a bill and passed first through the U.S. House of Representatives then the U.S Senate and signed into law by the sitting President.
- Congress is hereby prohibited from delegating ANY of it’s Constitutionally assigned powers and responsibilities to anyone who is not an elected representative of the U.S. Congress
- Congress cannot include ANY language in ANY bill, rider, or Amendment to any bill to exclude themselves from any part of any law.
- The private pension fund and private medical insurance for Members of Congress shall be revoked immediately. As long as the Federal Government requires private citizens to buy insurance or face a fine, levy, or tax or any type, Congress will be forced to purchase insurance for THEIR families from the choices available on any Government insurance exchange or other distribution tool as dictated by law! Presidential and Congressional pensions shall be no more than 70% of their highest average salary for the last contiguous 12 months of service. Such a pension shall run for only the total number of years that the individual served in Congress (or as the President).
- All Executive Orders, Actions, Memos or any other directive put forth by the President of the United States are expressly prohibited from making ANY CHANGES to allocation of monies from what Congress has stipulated or to make any changes to ANY law passed by Congress and signed by ANY President that is still in force.
- The President of the United States and his family is limited to no more than 2, maximum of 2 week long, vacations/trips taken at taxpayer expense where the President or ANY member of the President’s family or entourage is staying at any facility NOT owned by the U.S. Government, or the purpose of the trip is not U.S. Government business. Should a President choose to take a non-taxpayer funded vacation/trip, he and his family will be responsible for reimbursing the United States Government for all expenses incurred by the United States Government in support of that vacation or trip!
- All Representatives or Senators serving on Committees MUST have a web site (may be part of the committee web site), unrestricted to anyone in the United States of America, where a citizen can write to express views and / or ask questions related to any bills or business that is in that committee.
- This Amendment removes the ability of the Federal Government to license, restrict–even for interstate commerce–the manufacture, sale, trade, or barter of ANY weapons by any citizen of the United States of America to any Citizen of the United States of America, provided the purchaser is not classified as a “prohibited” person under the laws of the United States of America. This Amendment also repeals All federal gun laws on the books including, but not limited to, the NFA of 1934, the 1968 firearms act, and the Assault weapons ban.
- This Amendment repeals all legislation related to the creation of the Internal Revenue Service and the IRS is hereby replaced by the Flat Tax.
- This Amendment disbands and forbids the creation of the following Executive agencies, departments, bureaus, commissions, or other Executive organization: The Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Bureau of Land Management, the Department of Energy, The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, and The Department of Agriculture.
- No “political action committees” of ANY definition may be formed to participate in ANY election.
- No child born to non-citizen parents illegally in the United States will be granted U.S. Citizenship.
- All children born to parents–no matter where in the world or even off the earth–when at least one parent is a U.S. Citizen at the time of the child’s birth–shall be granted U.S. Citizenship and be considered a “Natural Born Citizen” for all purposes under the Constitution of the United States.
- All elected, and appointed members of the Federal Government including, but not limited to, members of Congress, federal judges, and all employees of the Federal Government shall have the first requirement to hold these positions that they must be citizens of the United States of America.