Amidst all the talk of overhauling the tax code and numerous regulatory institutions, let’s not stop at the symptoms of the problem. Let’s move on to the problem itself—Congress. Let’s fix Congress.

         The approval ratings for Congress are at an all-time low, along with its work ethic and its production. Here are some reasons (most of them show that money may well be the root of all evil):

·      We no longer have a representative democracy because the people are no longer represented. Our Congress represents the moneyed interests. We need to rethink the election process.

·      Congressmen spend a disproportionate amount of their time fundraising and wind up beholden to the money that elected them. Again, we need to rethink the election process.

·      The job doesn’t pay well. We should considered paying the members of Congress more to reduce the temptation to enrich themselves. The traditional means are bribes, cushy “jobs” after their time in Congress, ridiculously outrageous “speakers fees,” offshore accounts, etc.

·      It’s a part-time job. For a variety of reasons (unreliable 18^th century communication, the election process itself), the Constitution is vague about Congressional sessions. I’d like to see an amendment that specifies a minimum amount of time Congressmen are supposed to be in Washington and in session. This amount of time has in fact dropped radically during the past decade.  Halfway through Bush’s second term the House was in session for 101 days, the Senate hardly better at 138. Please skip the blather about all the work that goes on “behind the scenes.” Not enough of it has to do with legislating.

Sadly, I’m losing my respect for the U.S. Congress, and I am not alone. It is hard to maintain respect for for the people in Congress when you know how they get elected, just as it is hard to eat sausage once you’ve seen how it’s made.

One last time, we need to rethink the election process. Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic bullet for that, outside of limiting the amount of money that can be spent on a campaign.

But once the Congresspeople take office, I do have a few ideas for change. Most of them are not original—they just have not been put into law.

1. No free riders. Eliminate “riders” to legislative bills that have nothing to do with the main bill (so-called “earmarks”). If a bill concerns authorization for funds to rebuild failing bridges, there is no reason why an Idaho Congressman should be able to slip in a rider giving free AK-47’s to militias. If these ridiculous riders are no longer allowed, the line-item veto question becomes moot.
2. Eliminate filibusters. Far too much time is wasted by permitting uncontrolled gab to masquerade as a political strategy. Is it any wonder why so little actually gets done in Congress?
3. Follow the money. Subject any anti-regulation Congressman to the same intense financial scrutiny used to bring down Mafia dons. Find out who is giving money to this Congressman and what the donors are getting for it.
4. Mirror-fogging test. If you can’t fog a mirror, you can’t donate. Overturn the Supreme Court ruling that corporations have the same rights as individuals when it comes to donations. It is one of the worst decisions the Supremes have ever made. Find out how this decision was bought, for I’m sure it was.
5. Clarify the Second Amendment. There is no way our Founding Fathers could have foreseen the type of weaponry available to the citizens of today. Define which arms the citizen has a right to bear. Certain types of weapons should be in the hands of the military only (any type of machine gun or pistol, RPG’s, etc.). This is not a mentally challenging task, so the Congress ought be able to handle it.
6. Anti-crastination. If Congress cannot pass needed legislation when due (especially budgets, debt ceiling action, etc.), give the Executive Branch authority to issue a binding Executive Order that can only be overturned by a supermajority of both House and Senate. This will guarantee that Congress will act in a timely fashion. If the Congress misses a deadline, dock their pay until the job is done.
7. Plug leaks. Any member of Congress who leaks sensitive information about ongoing military operations or sensitive State Department negotiations for personal political gain should be thrown out of Congress and possibly prosecuted. This applies also to those in the employ of the Congressman or the Executive branch. Leaking that kind of information during wartime would be called treason. We need to caulk that boat. We need a law with teeth in it for times of so-called “peace.” We could call it “Valerie’s Law.” No pardons for convicted transgressors. We can call that one “the Scooter Clause.”
8. Term limits for Congress. We have term limits for the Presidency. Putting term limits on Congress is one step to prevent the gradual accumulation of power that leads to porkbarreling and other abuses. (Don’t hold your breath on this one—Congress would have to pass a piece of legislation restricting their own power.) Note: in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision to regard corporations as individuals, term limits for the Supremes seem desirable, too.

Feel free to make your own list.