Reforming Congress

1
Reforming Congress

• Reducing Perks and Abuse
• Chapter 13, Theme F

2
Review

• Go over steps and steps within the steps.
• Take quiz.
• Grade?

3
If Congress is broken, how can it be FIXED?

1. Term limits
2. Curbing Pork Barrel spending and earmarks
3. Abolishing or further limiting the franking
   privilege
4. Making Congress follow their own rules
5. Having zero tolerance for ethics violations
6. Closing the revolving door

4
Limiting Congressional Tenure

• Several attempts by states to impose term
  limitsUNCONSTITUTIONAL
• http//www.oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1994/1994_93_1
  456
• Several states pushed for a constitutional
  amendment (similar to 22nd Amendment)
• http//www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2000/2000_99_9
  29
• Pro/Con of each position?

5
Reducing Earmarks/Pork Barrel Legislation

• Define the above terms. The same?
• Pork barrel legislation is the appropriation of
  government spending for localized projects
  secured solely or primarily to bring money to a
  representative's district.
• An Earmark is a congressional directive that
  funds should be spent on a specific project.
• Give several relevant examples.
• CH Lighthouse move, Bridge to Nowhere
• Are all pork projects frivolous?

6
Trimming the Fat from the Budget

• How do so many of these items get passed?
• Reciprocity/Logrolling
• Senate Rules
• Committee Power
• Why fewer earmarks?
• Public outcry over national debt
• Special interest/watchdog scrutiny Pig Book
• Congressional moratorium

7
Fencing the Frank

• Redefine the term.
• Free mailing privilege
• Advantages of the perk?
• Inform constituents
• Others?
• Disadvantages of the perk?
• Huge expense
• Political advantage for incumbents

8
Following their own laws

• Why not follow some laws?
• Upset checks balances (Increase executive
  authority over Congress)
• Examples of exemptions
• Social Security
• STOCK Act
• Congressional Accountability Act of 1995
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Account
  ability_Act_of_1995
• Created Office of Compliance to solve the issues
  of separation of powers

9
Keeping Ethical Practices

• What happens when members of Congress act
  illegally or unethically?
• Investigation
• Resignation
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v1Rbf-6DaNSI
• Stripped of power (chairmanship)
• Fines
• Reprimand
• Censure
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vg3VD5fCY6Dcfeature
  fvst
• Expulsion
• http//www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Expuls

10
Closing the Revolving Door

• Define Lawmaker leave government work for a
  business that lobbies the government and vice
  versa. Revolving Door
• Is there a conflict of working for Congress then
  leaving to work as a lobbyist for an company that
  you wrote legislation about?
• Ethic rules are loose and have gaping loopholes.

11
Assignment

• Friday is a bill work day. Bring an electronic
  device to work on!
• All Bills due completed by Tuesday, February
  17th.
• Unit 5 test covers chapter 13, handouts and
  activities on Congress.
• Test is Thursday, February 19th.