Congress is Broken! Let's fix it!

Whereas the current approval rating of Congress is an unacceptable 11%

Whereas the average service term of a member of Congress is more than 2 terms, with over 10% having served over 40 years while the President is limited to 2 terms

Whereas Congress has FAILED in one of their primary job functions - to pass a budget by 11:59:59 on September 30 of each year - since 1996.

Whereas Congress continues to pass Federal Budgets that drive the country deeper into unsustainable debt and have lowered the credit rating of the United States

Whereas Congress has benefits that far outstrip the Citizens are should represent:
Average salary more than 3 times the salary of their median constituent
Free healthcare when many of their constituents cannot afford health care
Full salary at retirement after only 1 term of service when their constituents rely on a partial salary from Social Security or pensions
Large increases in net worth during and after their term despite their constituents declining net worth
Separate laws governing members of Congress than their constituents


WE THE PEOPLE you represent DEMAND that you sponsor, co-sponsor, and vote for the following bills:

1) Amend the 22nd Amendment limiting the President to serve a maximum of 2 terms to include term limits of 2 terms for member of Congress.

2) Amend the Constitution with an Amendment:
Congress must pass a balanced Federal Budget by 11:59:59 pm on September 30th of each year.
If a Federal deficit of greater than 50% of the GDP exists, this budget must include paying down that budget by 5% per year until the Federal deficit is resolved.
During times of national Emergency declared by majority vote of Congress and the President and ratified by majority vote of American Citizens voting, the requirement for a balanced budget may be waived.

If Congress fails to pass a budget by 11:59:59 pm on September 30th:
The Federal Budget in place at 11:59:59 pm September 30th shall continue uninterrupted until a new budget is passed.
ALL sitting members of Congress are immediately removed and are ineligible for ANY future service in an elected Federal position or an appointed Federal position.
Those seats vacated will be added to the election in November. If it is not an even numbered year, a special election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
The thus newly elected members of Congress shall perform NO other business until a budget is passed.
If a new budget is not passed by Congress before 11:59:59 December 31, ALL sitting members of Congress shall be removed and the preceding process applied until a new budget is passed.

3) Amend the Constitution with an Amendment:
Congress shall pass NO law that applies differently to members of Congress than Citizens
Members of Congress shall be paid the median salary of the constituents that they represent. This amount shall be adjusted annually by the Office of Management and Budget.
Members of Congress shall have the same health care, retirement and other benefits available to ALL American Citizens with no subsidies for those benefits.
Members of Congress shall have NO outside income that does not predate their candidacy for Congress by at least 2 years.
Members of Congress or candidates to an office shall disclose their Federal and state tax returns to the public, to be published as determined by the Office of Management and Budget.
Members of Congress must disclose ALL investment holdings within 30 days of taking office, to be published as determined by the Office of Management and Budget.
Members of Congress must disclose ALL investment transactions during their tenure, within 30 days of said transaction, to be published as determined by the Office of Management and Budget.