Reforming Congress

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What needs to be done

The reforming of the present method of selecting our legislators -- both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives -- must take place. New rules for gaining and keeping office will have to be developed to ensure that our legislators serve the national interest, and not the special interests:

• Term limits for both representatives and senators will have to be established. Their compensation for service should be significantly increased. In addition, a generous pension should be provided after completing the terms allowed.
• Public financing of elections will be mandatory. Lobbying that includes gifts should be prohibited.
• Each legislator is to be supplied with a team of public policy experts, to monitor the civil service and supply information for needed legislation.
• The senator or representative is expected to balance the interest of his or her constituency with the national interest (to include world problems/issues).
• The legislator's constituency is expected to monitor his or her performance. A provision for recall should be built into the election process.

How is it to be achieved

Appropriate amendments to the Constitution will have to be developed to reach the above objectives. This would be similar to the Twenty-second Amendment, which established term limits for the presidency.

Of course, it is unlikely that the present political class will agree to term limits and public financing of elections. Fortunately the Founding Fathers provided -- in Article V of the Constitution -- the ability to convene a Constitutional Convention for proposing amendments. This would bypass the Congress and its likely roadblock to reform.

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