Chris Berry On The Net

The so-called “economic stimulus” bill that is currently winding its way through Congress is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with our legislative process. Instead of focusing on timely, temporary and targeted programs that might actually have a chance of prodding our stalled economy, the package in its current form is nothing but a bloated wish list representing decades of pent-up demand for spending programs that could never pass as stand alone legislation.

The contents of this bill should come as no surprise, since generations of lawmakers have successfully rigged the rules to concentrate power in the hands of a few committee chairmen, and to avoid ever being held accountable for their actions. The result is a process whereby the American public and the lawmakers themselves have no idea what a bill contains until after it has passed. This is antithetical to the fundamental concept of democracy.

I’ve thought for years about possible solutions to the systematic abuse of power in Washington. I’ve come up with several ideas that would, in theory, solve the problem. However, just as incumbent lawmakers successfully killed the term limits movement, they would never stand for any other weakening of the corrupt system they have worked so hard to put in place. Unfortunately, my humble suggestions for more honest and effective governance will remain nothing but a fantasy.

End Committee Chairmanships Based On Seniority

Committee chairmen hold all the cards in Washington. They determine which bills reach the floor, and what provisions they contain. This is an awesome power, and one that is highly coveted. Unfortunately, these appointments are not made on any qualitative basis. Instead, they are virtually always decided on the basis of seniority. This means someone with 30 years in the Senate would be chosen to chair the banking committee, ahead of a member with 30 years of banking experience. As ridiculous as this may seem, it’s not the worst problem with the seniority system.

The awesome power of incumbency means that once a member is elected, they become virtually impossible to defeat. It doesn’t matter if their political views no longer represent those of their state or district. Name recognition and the power of pork are almost always enough to ensure re-election. What this means is that the people who occupy the most powerful positions today were first elected 30 or even 40 years ago. Their political views are a more accurate reflection of the 1970’s than the 21st century.

End Omnibus Legislation

The single most effective way to end legislative abuse is also the least likely to ever be implemented. The vast majority of wasteful and abusive spending occurs when unrelated provisions are attached to larger bills. Sometimes these are tucked into a package under cover of darkness, but it’s far too common for a bill to be held hostage in return for an entirely unrelated provision. This has become a favorite sport of lawmakers. In theory, the solution is simple: Ban the practice of omnibus legislation altogether. If a bill related to the Defense Department is under consideration, it should be illegal to attach any provision unrelated to defense. A provision that cannot pass on its own merits in the light of day should never become law.

Require Lawmakers To Read Bills Before Voting

Lawmakers routinely vote on massive bills that run hundreds or even thousands of pages without knowing what they contain. This practice is patently absurd. My proposal would require that before casting a vote, every member of the House or Senate would be required to sign a pledge stating that they have read the entire bill. This would make it much more difficult to sneak hidden provisions into a package, and it would require lawmakers to slow down and consider the possible unintended consequences of their actions. It would also have the benefit of forcing them to craft legislation that is more concise and more understandable to the voting public.

Require Bills to Be Posted Online For 72 Hours Before Voting Takes Place

Voters rarely have enough information to make informed decisions when it comes to supporting a particular piece of legislation. Both sides do everything possible to distort the facts about what a package does or does not contain. Citizens deserve the opportunity to know exactly what our representatives are voting for or against. There should be a 72 hour waiting period between the time a piece of legislation reaches the floor and any voting takes place. During this time, the bill should be posted online for voters and the media to see exactly what it contains. We can never hope to hold our elected representatives truly accountable for their actions unless we understand those actions more clearly.