I've just re-read the Constitution, looking for anything that would prohibit Congress from exempting its members from any law that applies to other Americans. Can't find such a prohibition, and don't remember seeing one before in my previous readings. I agree there SHOULD be such a prohibition, but can you show me the actual text?
No, BOTH are in the Constitution, and not only in the Bill of Rights and the other Amendments. For example, in Article One:
3.7 Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: . . .
5.4 Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
6.2 No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time: and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
Not at all. I'm saying that if we're going to have a center of legalized Power, with people given the legal "right" to coerce others with impunity, those coercive powers had damn well better be listed carefully and restricted just as carefully, including with definite and severe punishment for misuse and for going outside the prescribed Powers.
Early Americans seemed to feel the same way, and thus their State representatives refused to sign off on the Constitution without the added and incorporated Bill of Rights.
Today's problems make clear the Founders and everyone else involved in crafting the Constitution did not go far enough in restraining the powers delegated to the federal government. One example pertinent to our situation today: one of the Founders (Benjamin Rush) famously wanted medical freedom specifically protected in the Constitution. Imagine how much trouble and pain THAT might have saved us.
From link above:
"Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an underground dictatorship....To restrict the art of healing to one class of men and deny equal privileges to others will constitute the Bastille of medical science. All such laws are un-American and despotic and have no place in a republic....The Constitution of this republic should make special privilege for medical freedom as well as religious freedom."
The quote above is often attributed to one of the Founding Fathers of the Republic, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. But is this exactly what he wrote?
These words do encapsulate Dr. Rush's viewpoint on medical freedom. However, no one has actually found this exact quote in any of his many writings. [etc]
Agreed, and we should just eliminate Social Insecurity, The Fed, The IRS and a bunch of other 3 letter agencies. Can you give me some more specific sauce on the Constitution saying lawmakers cannot write a law that applies to others but not them?
These rulings are the closest I could find:
https://archive.downsizedc.org/the-enumerated-powers-act/
But the 9th, 10th and 14th Amendments are the closest.
I've just re-read the Constitution, looking for anything that would prohibit Congress from exempting its members from any law that applies to other Americans. Can't find such a prohibition, and don't remember seeing one before in my previous readings. I agree there SHOULD be such a prohibition, but can you show me the actual text?
Exactly this. Our problem is not a lack of laws, but criminals breaking existing laws with impunity. The ones we are supposed to rely on to enforce the laws are the ones breaking them.
I am completely for this. I have been against their slush fund paying out while concealing sexual improprieties, for their Cadillac Health Plan, for insider training allowed, and for voting their own pay raise. Add to that term limits limited to two and no colluding with lobbyists or payments by lobbyists or outsider influences. No becoming a lobbyist for 5 years after leaving Congress. I also believe states should make it easier to remove Congressional members if they run as a political party member, but show they are voting a certain percentage of time with the opposite party. This is a running for Congress by deceit which must be punishable.
I agree with all except for term limits, and the term limit issue relates to the Tenth Amendment. Term limits should not be done at the Federal level because that would back fire against the honest ones, while the dishonest would find ways around it.
I am fine with states taking control over their elected members to Congress-term limits and pay raises decided by the constituents based on the job done on their belhalf.
No person of Congress serves without taking random Urinalysis tests, just like it's done in the Military! Test positive your booted the hell out, pay stops, no retirement, health coverage from the taxpayers dime stops immediately!
When we get rid of the deepnstate, return to the Constitution we can fix that.
Also, all members of congress and the house who are sent by the states get paid on a state wage scale. Voted on by the state they represent. Of theybwant to give them retirement, fine they pay not the feds. All former people wondered will be bought out with a one time cash payment of 100k. Every year put them on the ballot for impeachment if the people do t like what they're doing. A yearly vote of confidence/no confidence.
Are you trying to make it easier to bribe politician?
That's all this does.
I think, if elected to senate or house, they should get "fuck you money." The kind of money that allows them to say "fuck you" to anyone that may try to bribe them.
The Constitution already says that lawmakers cannot make a law that applies to others but not to them. They just need to follow it.
This 👆. People need to read the existing Constitution. These rats don't follow it, so adding to it will probably do nothing.
https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/full-text
I've just re-read the Constitution, looking for anything that would prohibit Congress from exempting its members from any law that applies to other Americans. Can't find such a prohibition, and don't remember seeing one before in my previous readings. I agree there SHOULD be such a prohibition, but can you show me the actual text?
No, BOTH are in the Constitution, and not only in the Bill of Rights and the other Amendments. For example, in Article One:
etc.
Not at all. I'm saying that if we're going to have a center of legalized Power, with people given the legal "right" to coerce others with impunity, those coercive powers had damn well better be listed carefully and restricted just as carefully, including with definite and severe punishment for misuse and for going outside the prescribed Powers.
Early Americans seemed to feel the same way, and thus their State representatives refused to sign off on the Constitution without the added and incorporated Bill of Rights.
Today's problems make clear the Founders and everyone else involved in crafting the Constitution did not go far enough in restraining the powers delegated to the federal government. One example pertinent to our situation today: one of the Founders (Benjamin Rush) famously wanted medical freedom specifically protected in the Constitution. Imagine how much trouble and pain THAT might have saved us.
From link above:
No need for new laws when the old ones are ignored.
^^^ THIS ^^^
Agreed, and we should just eliminate Social Insecurity, The Fed, The IRS and a bunch of other 3 letter agencies. Can you give me some more specific sauce on the Constitution saying lawmakers cannot write a law that applies to others but not them? These rulings are the closest I could find: https://archive.downsizedc.org/the-enumerated-powers-act/
But the 9th, 10th and 14th Amendments are the closest.
Thank you!
People wanting more amendments have noe idea how government work.
https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/full-text
I've just re-read the Constitution, looking for anything that would prohibit Congress from exempting its members from any law that applies to other Americans. Can't find such a prohibition, and don't remember seeing one before in my previous readings. I agree there SHOULD be such a prohibition, but can you show me the actual text?
That's always the solution to everything isn't it. More laws. More laws of laws we already have. More laws to enforce laws of laws we already have.
A well regulated militia, BEING NECESSARY TO A FREE STATE, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Exactly this. Our problem is not a lack of laws, but criminals breaking existing laws with impunity. The ones we are supposed to rely on to enforce the laws are the ones breaking them.
I'd add this - no congressional pay raises unless approved by the citizens by referendum. With or without this, looks really good to me.
They should make the average salary of the state they represent so they are correlated to the success of the state they represent.
Absolutely
Why the average? The lower half includes a lot more people than the upper half in that average.
I am completely for this. I have been against their slush fund paying out while concealing sexual improprieties, for their Cadillac Health Plan, for insider training allowed, and for voting their own pay raise. Add to that term limits limited to two and no colluding with lobbyists or payments by lobbyists or outsider influences. No becoming a lobbyist for 5 years after leaving Congress. I also believe states should make it easier to remove Congressional members if they run as a political party member, but show they are voting a certain percentage of time with the opposite party. This is a running for Congress by deceit which must be punishable.
I agree with all except for term limits, and the term limit issue relates to the Tenth Amendment. Term limits should not be done at the Federal level because that would back fire against the honest ones, while the dishonest would find ways around it.
I am fine with states taking control over their elected members to Congress-term limits and pay raises decided by the constituents based on the job done on their belhalf.
I don't see how we can get the same " I'm just doing my job " drooling idiots that should have already arrested them to arrest them now.
Proposed addon: Police should not be exempt from firearm laws either.
Better yet, extend the freedoms to everybody. They are only doing what the second allows us all to do.
Also true.
No such thing, but it's a first step toward getting us back where we were supposed to be.
How about we hang all the traitors instead?
No person of Congress serves without taking random Urinalysis tests, just like it's done in the Military! Test positive your booted the hell out, pay stops, no retirement, health coverage from the taxpayers dime stops immediately!
And a background check for a security clearance. No Chinese PLA officer girlfriends swalwell
Sounds like we need some immediate cocaine tests!
YEP!
Most of them are criminals, it pisses me off that we pay for sexual harassment nonsense.
Downsize DC has been on this for a while... makes steam come out of my ears!
When we get rid of the deepnstate, return to the Constitution we can fix that.
Also, all members of congress and the house who are sent by the states get paid on a state wage scale. Voted on by the state they represent. Of theybwant to give them retirement, fine they pay not the feds. All former people wondered will be bought out with a one time cash payment of 100k. Every year put them on the ballot for impeachment if the people do t like what they're doing. A yearly vote of confidence/no confidence.
We need to keep the Bill of Rights, at least, and the 14th, along with the 27th, which forbids the current Congress from voting itself a pay Raise..
hmmn... I sense a trap somehow
Only takes 3/4 of the states to ratify a new amendment isn’t that right?
Where do I cast my vote for this? LOL
We have to pay them no matter what. Why would they ever agree to this?
This, plus term limits is what we need.
Are you trying to make it easier to bribe politician?
That's all this does.
I think, if elected to senate or house, they should get "fuck you money." The kind of money that allows them to say "fuck you" to anyone that may try to bribe them.