Worst is spousal benefits for retirement - hello? Can you be just a tiny bit less obvious in your embezzlement?
I'd love to see Congress actually reformed.
1) Members of Congress must maintain their primary residence in their home district or state. They are restricted from maintaining any type of ‘home’ outside of that primary residence.
2) Members of Congress are awarded a fixed salary, no matter what their position, no matter their numbers of years, no matter how many committees they run. That is the singular compensation - no retirement, no health benefits, etc. They can choose to purchase these out of their compensation.
3) All public airlines are required to provide (as available) seats on their aircraft for members of congress to travel from Washington DC to their home district, free of charge.
4) Conversion of one of the executive office buildings next to Congress into a hostel for members of congress to use while in session. They must return home each weekend and when the session ends.
5) Members of congress are forbidden from using any government vehicles, aircraft, etc for personal use. They may not skirt this rule by paying ‘fair market rates’ to use these publicly owned aircraft and cars. The exception is a motorpool at Congress where members of congress can check out vehicles for official business in and around the Washington DC area.
6) Lastly, all members of congress must use the same entry as the public does, going through the same checkpoints, searches and queues. Members of congress can think of this as a campaign opportunity to talk to the people they represent, or use the time to contemplate how stupid this whole security system is.
“You can choose not to run, but that’s not retirement.”
I might agree, except that in some cases elections are formalities and they’d be certain to hold their seat for the 40th or whatever term had they not bowed out. Retirement is a perfectly acceptable term for that.
“Congress is NOT a career choice.”
Yes it is, as obviously many make a career out of it. I’m, not sure what you’re getting at here, exactly. Congressmen don’t decide on their own whether they’re going to be elected, although often enough for the ones who have been in there long enough election is all but guaranteed. But it’s not as if in other lines of work people unilaterally decide whether they’ll stay employed. The entity employing you, or if you’re self-employed the market, may decide to chuck you out of a job just as surely as the electorate may fail to re-elect a senator.
And all members of Congress be required to submit to random drug tests.
You have very clear ideas. Let congressmen be subject to all laws we are.
You have very clear ideas. Let congressmen be subject to all laws we are.