There Is Much We Need To Do II

In my last piece, I wrote recommending reforms to the executive branch. Congress also needs to be reformed. The executive branch has become so powerful because Congress has not exercised the powers it has as delineated in the Constitution. This is not how the Founders intended that institution to operate.

I made some recommendations regarding a mandatory release of tax returns for ten years for all elected Congress people besides the president and vice-president. However, there needs to be much more. Term limit are especially important. The Senate should be limited to two terms and the House also to two terms. The House should increase the lengths of each term to four years. The expense of running for a House seat requires enormous time and money, and the longer term would give the member some freedom from election tyranny. Once you have “termed out of” the House or Senate, you must wait at least four years before running again for either chamber.

The Founders never envisioned that serving in Congress was to be a career. Let’s return to what was intended which was citizens serving and doing what they believed was in the people’s interest instead of their own interests or those of a political party. It is amazing what happens when elected officials are not concerned about the next election.

At the same time, the allocation of seats in both the House and Senate need revision. The notion of two senators from each state reflects the America of the 18th century and not the 21st. It would be better to have a…