One idea to fix Congress

[Utah]

If anyone votes straight party lines, they are ineligible to run for re-election. 

Also, if you don’t vote on >75% of the issues, you are ineligible for re-election. 

[UtahUteGuy]

There is only one way to “fix” congress, and that is to somehow eliminate gerrymandering.

[Utahute72]

When Arnold was governor in California he proposed using a separate, independant body do redistricting and it was voted down by the democratic majorigy.

[Newbomb Turk]

So, once again, it’s all the Democrats fault. Got it.

[ironman1315]

No, I think he’s saying that it is both parties’ faults depending on if they are in power or not.

[Utah]

I think Newbomb was being funny…I think. If he was, it was fantastic and I laughed out loud. If he isn’t…

[Newbomb Turk]

I’m funny how, you mean I’m funny like I’m a clown? I amuse you?

[Utah]

Yeah, why not? You? I don’t know you. But your post? Yeah, it amused me. I gave it the side eye, it batted its eyelashes at me. I asked it for coffee. It accepted. One thing led to another, stories were told, feelings were fostered….

All told, I left my time with your comment a better man. More solidified in my ideas. More confident in my abilities. And, yes, I did leave with a sense of wonder and amusement. 

[Newbomb Turk]

Psst….that’s a quote from “Goodfellas”

[cjd1]

Psst….that’s a quote from “Goodfellas”

My response…I got it. lol That is one of my all time favorite scenes in a movie. I watch it on YouTube often.

[Utah]

Aw man, my snowflake is showing through. I’ll watch this this weekend. 

#ashamed

[PorterRockwell]

you gotta say that in your best Joe Pesci voice

[deleted]

Great idea…

[ironman1315]

Your first idea wouldn’t work or at least would be a wash so that you could get rid of the big bad republicans because bipartisanship happens, even on substantive bills. (http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/lawmaker-news/271859-bipartisanship-in-congress-some-progress-still-a-long-way). And so long as they can prove on one issue they crossed party lines boom, there goes that. Also, it could very well be unconstitutional.

Your second is problematic because there are a metric s**t-ton of issues that are being voted on at any given instance some substantive, some procedural, some pure fluff. Also, committee hearings can and do conflict with floor time. Further, committee hearings is where the real work gets done anyway. So, if your “issue” is pure floor debate it doesn’t get at the heart of the issue. Also, Congress would never pass a bill like this because it’s terrible policy. And without Congress passing there is no chance a state can pass this bill and pass constitutional muster.

[Utah]

FAKE NEWS!!!

Don’t bring your facts in here. 

OK, so my ideas suck. Back to the drawing board. ha ha. 

[bopahull]

I propose not paying congressmen and senators for days they actually vote, and any new law passed would require the removal of one old law.

[bopahull]

Goes for state legislatures too.

[deleted]

No way. They do lots of other things than sitting around voting on stuff. Time spent reading bills is necessary if we want them to read the bills they vote on.

[bopahull]

exactly, more days reading fewer days voting.

[Utahute72]

Just saying I liked the idea, and that it’s both parties.

[Puget Ute]

Public funding for campaigns. Overturn Citizens United. Ban direct and indirect donations to candidates. Increase congressional/senatorial pay to $1M/yr, with a distinct ban on gifts from lobbyists. 5-yr separation between being a congressman and becoming a lobbyist (DJT is working on this one right now, because the revolving door from Congress to K Street is nuts).

This is a good start.

[Utah]

I like those. I think the funds thing is HUGE. For example, with youtube, twitter, periscope, etc, put caps on how much you can spend on a campaingn. 

For local campaigns, $750,000.

For statewide campaigns, $1,000,000. 

For presidential campaings, $10,000,000. 

I purposely put the local as the highest, in proportion, because those “should” be the most important. Those are the campaigns where real change happens. 

[ironman1315]

I think public funding could work but we’d have to increase revenue from somewhere.

I think Citizens United should be overturned or Congress should require open disclosures.

You can’t ban individual donations per the SCOTUS. You’d need an amendment for that or the court to overturn 40 years of case law.

[Puget Ute]

An Open Disclosures law would be paramount. And that might be the only one that is actually workable.

At the Federal level raising revenue wouldn’t be a problem at all. And you wouldn’t even need to preclude very many back door sweetheart deals to essentially be revenue-neutral.

[deleted]

Yep. Enough corporate money in election finance. I’d even let individuals donate as long as it were a fairly patry amount of money (i.e. $100).

[Riot West]

My solution:

[deleted]

Arbitrary and capricious. I’d love it if they voted 100% if I liked 100% of the bills. 

[jrj84105]

Have your party count off and divide into two equal groups of odds and evens.

February 11- vote 2/11 as National Odd Number Day.  Odd half of party votes Yay, and Evens vote Nay.

Speaker/majority leader votes Nay.  The odds have now all voted against party line.

February 12- vote on 2/12 as National Even Number Day.  Odds vote Nay, Evens Yay and speaker/majority leader Nay.  Evens have now voted against party line.

February 13- National Speaker/Majority Leader Day.  Majority leader votes Yay, odds and evens vote Nay, and the speaker/Majority leader have now voted against party line.

The same bills are recycled annually.