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What Line?
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Information, news and opinions about
"our" federal government, and how to
bring about a return to leadership!
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LeadersReport.com
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Column - An American View (4/7/06)
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Archive - An American View
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LeadersReport.com copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
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An American View column and blog by Bruce Green - conservative & moderate political discourse
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Now that the media feasting is about over dealing with Rep. Cynthia
McKinney (D-Ga) allegedly punching a Capitol policeman, hopefully the important news to most of us that came from this incident can be discussed. Why are members of Congress not required to go through metal detectors inside the entrances to the Capitol building? |
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In addition, any person with a member of Congress as they bypass
the metal detectors security areas does not go through the security. This is just another in a long line of insulting steps taken by Congress that says to the people that sent them to Washington D.C., "we're too important and our time is more important than yours". |
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Members of Congress have an underground subway from their offices
to the Capitol building and are able to avoid most security checks by this means, which is fine, but on the occasions when they're coming into the Capitol building from other entrances they should wait in the security lines with everyone else. |
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Possibly too much of their time is taken up off Capitol Hill with paid
meals by lobbyists and they can't be bothered with the same experiences of the people they are suppose to represent by standing in a security line. |
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Once again, short term hierarchy thinking by "our" long term public
servants. |
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Section I, No person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives shall serve more than 12 consecutive
years. A minimum of 6 years must intervene before a person who served 12 consecutive years may serve again. No person shall serve in the U.S. House of Representatives more than 12 years during any 18 year period. Reapportionment within a district or state shall not change the affects of Section I.
Section II, Upon passage of this amendment, and not less than 8 months prior to a federal general election
that occurs in an even number year, any current members having exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision shall be replaced by the following method. The forty percent of the members exceeding the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3 terms. Two years later, the next thirty percent of the members who exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months at the time of passage of this amendment, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3 terms. Four years later, the remaining thirty percent of the members who exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months at the time of passage of this amendment, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3 terms. Any members reaching the 12 consecutive years provision after passage of this amendment, and not less than 8 months prior to a federal general election that occurs in an even number year, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3 terms.
Section III, No person elected to the U.S. Senate shall serve more than 12 consecutive years. A minimum of
6 years must intervene before a person who served 12 consecutive years may serve again. No person shall serve in the U.S. Senate more than 12 years during any 18 year period.
Section IV, Upon passage of this amendment, and not less than 8 months prior to a federal general election
that includes more than 3 U.S. Senate positions, any current members having exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision shall be replaced by the following method. The sixty percent of the members exceeding the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. Senate for the next 6 years or 1 term. Two years later, the remaining forty percent of the members who exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months at the time of passage of this amendment, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. Senate for the next 6 years or 1 term. Any members reaching the 12 consecutive years provision after passage of this amendment, and not less than 8 months prior to a federal general election that includes more than 3 U.S. Senate positions, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. Senate for the next 6 years or 1 term.
Section V, Upon the death, resignation, or impeachment of an elected member of the U.S. House of
Representatives, a person that serves less than 1 year of another U.S. House of Representatives elected term of office, may immediately serve an additional 12 consecutive years. A person that serves more than 1 year of another U.S. House of Representatives elected term of office may immediately serve an additional 10 consecutive years.
Section VI, Upon the death, resignation, or impeachment of an elected member of the U.S. Senate, a person
that serves less than 3 years of another U.S. Senators elected term of office, may immediately serve an additional 2 consecutive terms. A person that serves more than 3 years of another U.S. Senators elected term of office may immediately serve one additional term.
Section VII, Between Jan. 1 to Sept. 1 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S. House
of Representatives must spend a minimum of 85 weekdays in their district, with four minimum stays of 10 consecutive weekdays each. Between Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S. House of Representatives must spend a minimum of 60 weekdays in their district, with three minimum stays of 15 consecutive weekdays each.
Section VIII, Between Jan. 1 to Sept. 1 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S.
Senate must spend a minimum of 85 weekdays in their state, with four minimum stays of 10 consecutive weekdays each. Between Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S. Senate must spend a minimum of 60 weekdays in their state, with three minimum stays of 15 consecutive weekdays each.
Section IX, No member of Congress shall retain leadership of a full committee, conference committee, sub
committee, or temporary committee for more than 4 consecutive years, nor more than 4 total years within a 12 year period.
Section X, No Speaker of the House, majority or minority leader in the House or Senate shall hold said
position for more than 6 consecutive years, nor more than 6 total years within a 12 year period.
Section XI, No Speaker of the House, majority or minority leader in the House or Senate can continue in his
or her Congressional leadership post while actively pursuing the office of President of the United States. The threshold of actively pursuing shall be met when accepted on a Presidential primary or Presidential caucus election ballot. |
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You can read my suggestions in full below for making our representative government more representative
of what we want by adding limited term limits to the U.S. Constitution. We should to make "our" long term public servants short term again. |