Kick Congress out of D.C...Another Brilliant Tea Party Suggestion

[Libhater]

In order to return power to the people, the Tea Party wants to force our representatives to return to the people. That's right. We want to kick Congress out of Washington, D.C.

In the context of the Second American Revolution, there's no longer any need for every member of Congress to be in the Capitol building to participate in debate or to cast a vote.


Instead, we propose a system in which senators and representatives live and work most of the time in their home districts and travel to Washington, D.C., only infrequently--at most once or twice a year. Think of the money we tax payers would save just alone in feeding those 535 people per year, not to mention the cost of their weekly or bi-monthly travel junkets.

The technology exists to allow everything that a representative currently does in Washington to be done equally well from his or her home district. There's no need for a twenty-first-century legislature to be constrained by eighteenth-century technology.

If tens of millions of Americans can telecommunicate, there's no reason why members of Congress can't attend committee and subcommittee meetings by videoconference. And in a world where we entrust the security of our bank accounts to small plastic cards and four-digit PINs, congressional votes can surely be taken over the Internet.

Instituting a virtual Congress will have a variety of benefits. First, senators and representatives will be able to spend more time in the communities they represent. They'll be surrounded by skeptical constituents, rather than fawning supplicants. And they'll continually have to justify any political decision they make that's contrary to the will of the voters. In the recent past, we've seen cowardly lawmakers do everything in their power short of joining the federal Witness Protection Program to avoid listening to us.

In 2003, Texas Democratic state legislators fled to Oklahoma to prevent the legislature from voting on a redistricting plan that they opposed, and on which they were going to be outvoted. In 2011, Indiana Democratic state legislators fled the state to Illinois, to prevent the legislature from reaching a quorum to vote on legislation unfavorable to public employee unions (who, not coincidentally, happened to be some of their biggest donors). And, most famously, also in 2011, a group of fourteen Wisconsin Democratic legislators fled the state (also to Illinois) to avoid a legislative quorum for a vote on newly elected governor Walker's Budget Repair Plan, also opposed by the public employee unions. All of these legislators, fleeing their states to prevent legislature from enacting the will of the people as expressed by duly elected representatives, represent a disturbing trend.


And in the summer of 2009, as the Tea Party movement was really coming to a boil, Democratic lawmakers avoided constituents outraged at their support of obamacare by....simply avoiding their constituents. Members of Congress eschewed traditional town-hall-style meetings for carefully planned and scripted photo-ops with no question-and-answer sessions, afraid that Tea Partiers with flip cameras would expose their hypocrisy on YouTube for all the world to see.


Excerpts "Tea Party Patriots"



ps: Looks to me like its not just Rush Limbaugh, but the Tea Party itself who are on the cutting edge of societal evolution.

[sachem]

If the constituents are that outraged..........vote the bums out. Hasn't quite happened yet.

[1751_Texan]

Here is an organic social evolutionary theory...Tea party. Stay out of DC. Legislate from home. Phone in your opposition to legislation. Show us how it would be done.

[PolWatch]

gettin rid of the bums in DC sounds pretty good but we already a method in place: voting

[Libhater]

gettin rid of the bums in DC sounds pretty good but we already a method in place: voting


No where was it suggested we get rid of the useless bums, rather, it just specified we send them back to their districts where they would have to face their constituents rather than hide behind their desks in D.C. Don't you think by sending them home they would be more likely to listen to and abide by their constituents' concerns? I recall like it was yesterday when some of my Tea Party ancestors stormed a building in Boston and dragged an English redcoat tax collector out into the street and tar and feathered him so that he would listen to the complaints of the Tea Party Strong. You would probably have to believe that there is too much power located in the halls of that congressional building in D.C. in order to be angered into doing something about it.

[Common Sense]

It may put them at more of a distance from lobbyists...that's who they spend most of their time in Washington with. For that reason alone it would never happen.

There is a machine in Washington, people are constantly in meetings...it just couldn't be done. Most action is probably decided over $400 lunches.

[Green Arrow]

It may put them at more of a distance from lobbyists...that's who they spend most of their time in Washington with. For that reason alone it would never happen.

There is a machine in Washington, people are constantly in meetings...it just couldn't be done. Most action is probably decided over $400 lunches.

It wouldn't ever happen, but it's still a surprisingly decent idea.

[Libhater]

It may put them at more of a distance from lobbyists...that's who they spend most of their time in Washington with. For that reason alone it would never happen.

There is a machine in Washington, people are constantly in meetings...it just couldn't be done. Most action is probably decided over $400 lunches.

You are making the Tea Party's point here. Send them home to their districts where lobbyists are less apt to visit, and where $400 lunches might be reduced to a $9.99 meal at Taco Bell across the street from a town hall. Constituents and tax payers alike would delight if such a measure was taken.

[Common Sense]

You are making the Tea Party's point here. Send them home to their districts where lobbyists are less apt to visit, and where $400 lunches might be reduced to a $9.99 meal at Taco Bell across the street from a town hall.

Yes, I understand that. My point isn't that it's a bad idea...my point is that it could never happen.

[Libhater]

Yes, I understand that. My point isn't that it's a bad idea...my point is that it could never happen.

Perhaps you would join me in campaigning for Tea Party candidates all across the fruited plains of America to ensure we get these brilliant people elected into office.

[Common Sense]

Perhaps you would join me in campaigning for Tea Party candidates all across the fruited plains of America to ensure we get these brilliant people elected into office.

I might agree with them on that solitary issue, but not their politics in general.

[1751_Texan]

No where was it suggested we get rid of the useless bums, rather, it just specified we send them back to their districts where they would have to face their constituents rather than hide behind their desks in D.C. Don't you think by sending them home they would be more likely to listen to and abide by their constituents' concerns? I recall like it was yesterday when some of my Tea Party ancestors stormed a building in Boston and dragged an English redcoat tax collector out into the street and tar and feathered him so that he would listen to the complaints of the Tea Party Strong. You would probably have to believe that there is too much power located in the halls of that congressional building in D.C. in order to be angered into doing something about it.

So if the member goes back home and spends his day listening to constituent after constituent complaining on countless issues...related to any legislation pending or not...How does that make his day more productive?

You have the idea that only sane constituents would want to address issues. What if Joe Blow the science guy wants answers to area 51?

There is a reason city government limit public discussion times. There is a reason Rush Limbaugh has call screeners. If Rush allowed every nut to voice his opinion or make a statement...the show would be unlistenable...even more than it is now.

[Libhater]

I might agree with them on that solitary issue, but not their politics in general.

Okay, so you don't agree we need lower taxes and a less intrusive government...got it.

[Chris]

Easier to just limit legislative sessions to a few weeks a year. That would keep them at home.

[Mainecoons]

gettin rid of the bums in DC sounds pretty good but we already a method in place: voting

Which doesn't work, obviously.

New Mexico limits the mischief the legislature can do by limiting them to 60 day terms every other year, 30 day terms on the off years. Works like a charm.

[Libhater]

Easier to just limit legislative sessions to a few weeks a year. That would keep them at home.

That would be a start and I could agree with that, but what happens when they need an emergency session--which seems to come as a daily routine? Wouldn't having them already in their home state districts prevent the added expense of flying them back to D.C. on our tax payers dime?

[Mainecoons]

New Mexico makes emergency sessions doable but difficult. That also seems to work.

[Chris]

New Mexico makes emergency sessions doable but difficult. That also seems to work.

That should be good enough.

Or telecommute.

[Mainecoons]

They still need legislative term limits in NM, as does the U.S. Congress.

Badly.

[The Sage of Main Street]

In order to return power to the people, the Tea Party wants to force our representatives to return to the people. That's right. We want to kick Congress out of Washington, D.C.

In the context of the Second American Revolution, there's no longer any need for every member of Congress to be in the Capitol building to participate in debate or to cast a vote.


Instead, we propose a system in which senators and representatives live and work most of the time in their home districts and travel to Washington, D.C., only infrequently--at most once or twice a year. Think of the money we tax payers would save just alone in feeding those 535 people per year, not to mention the cost of their weekly or bi-monthly travel junkets.

The technology exists to allow everything that a representative currently does in Washington to be done equally well from his or her home district. There's no need for a twenty-first-century legislature to be constrained by eighteenth-century technology.

If tens of millions of Americans can telecommunicate, there's no reason why members of Congress can't attend committee and subcommittee meetings by videoconference. And in a world where we entrust the security of our bank accounts to small plastic cards and four-digit PINs, congressional votes can surely be taken over the Internet.

Instituting a virtual Congress will have a variety of benefits. First, senators and representatives will be able to spend more time in the communities they represent. They'll be surrounded by skeptical constituents, rather than fawning supplicants. And they'll continually have to justify any political decision they make that's contrary to the will of the voters. In the recent past, we've seen cowardly lawmakers do everything in their power short of joining the federal Witness Protection Program to avoid listening to us.
All of these legislators, fleeing their states to prevent legislatures from enacting the will of the people as expressed by duly elected representatives, represent a disturbing trend.


And in the summer of 2009, as the Tea Party movement was really coming to a boil Members of Congress eschewed traditional town-hall-style meetings for carefully planned and scripted photo-ops with no question-and-answer sessions, afraid that Tea Partiers with flip cameras would expose their hypocrisy on YouTube for all the world to see.


Excerpts "Tea Party Patriots"



ps: Looks to me like its not just Rush Limbaugh, but the Tea Party itself who are on the cutting edge of societal evolution. And your plutocratic Republican congressmen, if forced to stay back in their districts, will spend all their time at the country clubs hobnobbing with the economic snobs. That's what cost Eric Cantor his seat.

[The Sage of Main Street]

Perhaps you would join me in campaigning for Tea Party candidates all across the fruited plains of America to ensure we get these brilliant people elected into office. Fine, as long as they follow the lead of that BagHead heroine, Juneau of Arc, and quit halfway through their terms.

[Libhater]

And your plutocratic Republican congressmen, if forced to stay back in their districts, will spend all their time at the country clubs hobnobbing with the economic snobs. That's what cost Eric Cantor his seat.

If that's what they do then they will be under closer scrutiny in their own districts and would be ousted by the people.

[Libhater]

Fine, as long as they follow the lead of that BagHead heroine, Juneau of Arc, and quit halfway through their terms.

Do I detect a taste of bitterness in you for not having as gifted a political mind as the lovely and hot Sarah Palin?

[Newpublius]

To expound on the point, one point about the recent controversy over 'recess' appointments. No more recess, that puts an end to that bullshit.