A Call for Revolution

From Martin L Gross’s “A CALL FOR REVOLUTION”
(I have taken the liberty with printing, or using examples, of Mr. Gross’s numbers which the author included, because they were published in 1993, and might not be relevant in today’s Washington.)
Per Sub- chapter; ‘The Way to Go’

Gross wrote; “After a thorough study, I’ve compiled a list of must changes for Congress………
1. Cut the number of Congressional employees in half.

2. Place a limit on the salaries aides, personal and committee staff.

3. Cut the number of personal aides for House Members. (by ½)

4. Cut the number of personal aides for Senators (by 17/42)

5. Put all constituent work under a central ombudsmen organization in Congress, overseen by one staffer in each Congressperson’s office.

6. Cut the number of committees (from 251 to 75) in both the House and Senate combined.

7. No congressperson shall serve on more than two committees.

8. There shall be no proxy votes on committees.

9. Committee Staff, shall be cut (3700 to 1500).

10.Committees shall be reorganized so that House and Senate committees have the same names and function, and relate to Executive Cabinet offices.

11.Term Limits should be passed for all congresspersons: six years for the House and twelve years in the Senate.

12.Committee Chairpersons shall be limited to four years in that post.

13.Congress should adopt and operate under a balanced budget amendment.

14.Congress should grant the president an unfettered line-item veto.

15.Authorization and appropriations committees should be melded into one covering a single subject.

16.All leadership staff in Congress should be eliminated as party, not government, workers.

17. The rule that no vote shall be taken until three days after the bill is printed shall be made a permanent law. Changed only by a two thirds vote,

18.Congress should not be permitted to exempt itself from the laws of the land.

19.All perks, of whatever nature, including parking permits at National Airport, should be eliminated.

20.The Office of Former Speakers should be eliminated.

21.Ethical disputes should not be handled by Congress, but by retired federal judges.

22.Congressperson should be required to read a bill before voting on it.

23.Congresspersons should be bound to vote for bills they co-sponsor.

24.Pork should be eliminated by making it illegal for committee members to vote funds for any district represented on the committee.

25.Mass mailings to constituents should be discontinued.

We cannot afford reorganization of Congress entirely to its members. Instead the citizenry, the media, (note this was written in 1993) civic groups, the White House, and the cadre of concerned Congresspersons must become involved in the great challenges of our day. Otherwise by leaving Congress to its fate which is still more public ridicule. And in the process we’ll fail; to save represented government in the nation that invented it.”