Saturday, October 19, 2013

Congressional rules

We can all agree that Congress isn't getting anywhere these days.  They cannot even vote appropriations to run the government. 
  Each House conducts business under an ancient, complicated, and little understood set of rules.  In the house it is so bad that before each bill is voted on, they hold a separate vote on the rules to be used this time.  That is rediculous, the rules ought to be the same everytime.  The Senate conducts votes to decide whether a super majority is needed this time.  Most of the votes taken are "procedural" votes, not votes on business.  For every real vote cast to pass or reject a bill, they do dozens of "procedural" votes (nothing votes).
   All this rules and procedure business serves to disguise what's really happening from the citizens.  A day of  motions and procedural votes and the real voter has no idea whether his rep is doing good or doing evil, or doing anything.  It's gotten so bad my TV cable provider doesn't bother to carry C-span anymore.  And nobody misses it. 
   At this rate, the Congress critters have escaped from voter control.  They can do all sorts of things that the voters disapprove of (like shutdown) and the voter cannot figure out where his rep stood on any issue.  Come election time,  there is no voting record for the citizen to consult to decide if congressman So-and-So ought to be re elected. 
  So, let's clear the smoke and mirrors away.  Here are my rules.

1.  No procedural votes.  Each bill gets one up or down vote.  That's it.
2.  No riders.  A rider is a low speed bill that gets attached to a high speed bill.  Pass the high speed bill and the rider passes.  It's like hitching a ride on a freight train.  No more.  Your low speed bill needs to get votes on it own merits, no drafting.
3. Every bill treats ONE thing, that thing being in the title of the bill. No kitchen sink bills.

4. Every bill much be printed (ink on paper) and distributed to the press, the public and the Congress one week before a vote may be taken.  No amendments, no extra pork rations, no nothing between printing and voting.  
5.  Every member gets to speak, once, on every bill.  House members get five minutes plus what ever extra time the Speaker will grant them.  Senators get one hour, no more.
6.  Every member is entitled to file as many bills as he likes, and they all must come to the floor for a vote.

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