28th Amendment: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

[nChrist]

28th Amendment: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Have each person contact a minimum of Twenty people on their Address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise..

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ".

 

[JustOneWay]

(such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment)

Sorry. The Congressional Accountability Act in 1995 already addresses this issue.
Office of Compliance: Congressional Accountability Act

(a) DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES PROHIBITED. - All personnel actions affecting covered employees shall be made free from any discrimination based on -
(1) race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, within themeaning of section 703 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–2);
(2) age, within the meaning of section 15 of the AgeDiscrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 633a); or
(3) disability, within the meaning of section 501 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791) and sections 102 through 104 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12112–12114).

 

[BotanicalBob]

Obviously that law hasn't worked. We need something a lot stronger.

 

[blueapplepaste]

Never going to happen. Its like trying to get the foxes to pass a law outlawing them raiding the chicken coop.

 

[DontTreadOnMike]

"Congress shall make no law."

Fixed it for you.



In all seriousness though, I like your idea.

 

[JustOneWay]

Fixed it for you.



In all seriousness though, I like your idea.

This is a variation of an email spam. I doubt that the author of the OP came up with the idea.

snopes.com: 28th Amendment

 

[DontTreadOnMike]

This is a variation of an email spam. I doubt that the author of the OP came up with the idea.

snopes.com: 28th Amendment

Haha yeah I don't doubt it. Doesn't mean it isn't a good idea to make politicians follow the same laws they write for us.

 

[Grizzly]

Haha yeah I don't doubt it. Doesn't mean it isn't a good idea to make politicians follow the same laws they write for us.

I think the point is that they already do.

 

[Saving Hawaii]

The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms.

I'm uncertain as to why any of our congress critters would do that, and I'm unfamiliar with any efforts to do so. The healthcare reform bill set a lower bound for what health insurance needed to cover, but it didn't establish any upper bound on what it could cover. If congressmen (or anybody else for that matter) want to have the best healthcare that money can buy, there's nothing in this healthcare bill that would stop them from doing that.

 

[DontTreadOnMike]

I think the point is that they already do.

ummb no they absolutely do not have the same set of rules as we do. For example, congressmen are allowed to practice insider trading

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticke...law-insider-trading-for-lawmakers-478701.html

 

[revanneosl]

The intent of this faux Amendment was, in fact, passed as legislation at the very beginning of the 1995 congressional session. The laws that Congress passes apply to the Congress as much as they apply to the rest of the Nation.

This is just another red herring designed to gin up anti-government poutrage.

 

[DontTreadOnMike]

The intent of this faux Amendment was, in fact, passed as legislation at the very beginning of the 1995 congressional session. The laws that Congress passes apply to the Congress as much as they apply to the rest of the Nation.

This is just another red herring designed to gin up anti-government poutrage.

Let me just reiterate really quick what I posted earlier. CONGRESSMEN ARE ALLOWED TO USE THEIR INSIDER KNOWLEDGE ON THE STOCK MARKET TO BENEFIT FINANCIALLY. WE ARE NOT.

It's called insider trading and congressmen are allowed to do it while the rest of us are not allowed to do it. So you're wrong.

congress refuses to outlaw insider trading for lawmakers: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance

 

[brinny]

28th Amendment: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Have each person contact a minimum of Twenty people on their Address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise..

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ".

Indeed.

 

[manchambo]

28th Amendment: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Have each person contact a minimum of Twenty people on their Address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise..

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ".

How could you possibly make all laws applicable to congress equally applicable to all citizens of the United States (the second part of this proposed amendment)?

As an example, should all US citizens be paid a congress person's salary?

 

[nChrist]

How could you possibly make all laws applicable to congress equally applicable to all citizens of the United States (the second part of this proposed amendment)?

As an example, should all US citizens be paid a congress person's salary?

"Make No Law".

Maybe they should be paid minimum wage.

 

[revanneosl]

"Make No Law".

Maybe they should be paid minimum wage.

Absolutely yes. That's what we need. Lowering the quality of congressional candidates to those who can't make more than minimum wages would be great. We totally need a dumber Congress.

'Cause things aren't bad enough as it is.

 

[BobW188]

As the amendment as written give me a congressman's salary, I tend to favor it.

I think we need a redraft here.

 

[nolongerhome]

Absolutely yes. That's what we need. Lowering the quality of congressional candidates to those who can't make more than minimum wages would be great. We totally need a dumber Congress.

'Cause things aren't bad enough as it is.

Lowering Congressional wages to the minimum wouldn't result in a dumber congress necessarily.

All it would do is further entrench the fact that you need to be wealthy to be a member of Congress - any Congressman who currently relies on their job as a Congressman for their income source would have issues, but all those incredibly rich Congressman will not be affected at all.

 

[nChrist]

The key point is "Making Any Law". The salaries and benefits they get are ridiculous, but that's not the issue. The issue is "Making Laws" that either don't apply to them - or apply only to them. At present they are the PRIVILEGED ELITE, and this is obviously one reason why they are OUT OF TOUCH entirely with the PEOPLE AND REALITY. They are an out of control circus violating their oaths and trampling underfoot the rule of Law and the Constitution.

 

[manchambo]

The key point is "Making Any Law". The salaries and benefits they get are ridiculous, but that's not the issue. The issue is "Making Laws" that either don't apply to them - or apply only to them. At present they are the PRIVILEGED ELITE, and this is obviously one reason why they are OUT OF TOUCH entirely with the PEOPLE AND REALITY. They are an out of control circus violating their oaths and trampling underfoot the rule of Law and the Constitution.

The idea that their benefits are high is out of touch with reality. They are almost universally succesful, well connected people who would make more money in private industry.

And the amount paid to federal judges is actually problematically low. They're paid about 150k. Now that sounds like a good salary, and of course it is a good salary compared to what most people make. But a first year associate at a big NY firm makes more money. And people with the experience and credentials to become a federal judge can fairly easily make more (and in some cases much much more) than double that amount.

In any case, I'm bewildered by the idea that people in the most important positions in government shouldn't be well paid.