A proposed 28th amendment to the Constitution

[BeachSiO2]

I received this in an email today and expect that some of you also may have seen it, but I found it an interesting idea in it's simplicity and thought I would hit my twenty people this way...

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered....in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law.. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Have each person contact a minimum of Twenty people on their Address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise..

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States".

 

[scooterbug44]

Are there any potential issues with this one?

Sounds good to me so far, but since it is so simple I am waiting for the other shoe.

I did NOT know they didn't pay Social Security - knew the other cushy stuff.

 

[Andy A]

The other shoe is Congress will never accept such an amendment and if it should ever get to the amendment stage, term limits should become a part of it as well.

 

[scooterbug44]

Here's what Snopes has to say:

• Can members of Congress retire with full pay after serving only a single term?
  No. This is a long-standing erroneous rumor which we cover in a separate article.

• Are members of Congress exempt from paying into Social Security?
  No. As noted in our article about Congressional pensions, although Congress initially participated in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) rather than Social Security, since 1984 all members of Congress have been required to pay into the Social Security fund.

• Are members of Congress exempt from prosecution for sexual harassment?
  No. The passage of Public Law 104-1 (the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, also known as CAA) made a variety of laws related to civil rights and workplace regulations applicable to the legislative branch of the federal government. Section 201 of the CAA specifically prohibits sexual harrassment (as well as harrassment on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin).

• Did members of Congress try to exempt themselves from current health care reform legislation?
  No. This claim was based on the erroneous assumption that congressional efforts to establish a "public option" for health insurance would have required everyone (except members of Congress) to participate in a new federal insurance plan. The proposed legislation would merely have required everyone (including members of Congress) to have health insurance that met minimum benefit standards, and to that end called for the creation of insurance exchanges which would offer health insurance plans to those who could not otherwise afford insurance plans meeting the minimum benefits criteria.

 

[Matt J]

Here's what Snopes has to say:

• Can members of Congress retire with full pay after serving only a single term?
  No. This is a long-standing erroneous rumor which we cover in a separate article.

• Are members of Congress exempt from paying into Social Security?
  No. As noted in our article about Congressional pensions, although Congress initially participated in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) rather than Social Security, since 1984 all members of Congress have been required to pay into the Social Security fund.

• Are members of Congress exempt from prosecution for sexual harassment?
  No. The passage of Public Law 104-1 (the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, also known as CAA) made a variety of laws related to civil rights and workplace regulations applicable to the legislative branch of the federal government. Section 201 of the CAA specifically prohibits sexual harrassment (as well as harrassment on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin).

• Did members of Congress try to exempt themselves from current health care reform legislation?
  No. This claim was based on the erroneous assumption that congressional efforts to establish a "public option" for health insurance would have required everyone (except members of Congress) to participate in a new federal insurance plan. The proposed legislation would merely have required everyone (including members of Congress) to have health insurance that met minimum benefit standards, and to that end called for the creation of insurance exchanges which would offer health insurance plans to those who could not otherwise afford insurance plans meeting the minimum benefits criteria.

So basically it's another crap email that sounds good until you research it?

 

[scooterbug44]

Yes - too vague and full of untruths.

Also, they claim we can get around Congress by having a majority of the states ratify it, which is true, but since that has NEVER happened............... :roll:

Not that I am against reining in the politico gravy train, just don't think this will do it.

 

[TreeFrog]

Yes - too vague and full of untruths.

Also, they claim we can get around Congress by having a majority of the states ratify it, which is true, but since that has NEVER happened............... :roll:

Not that I am against reining in the politico gravy train, just don't think this will do it.

IMHO, the only way we'll rein in the gravy train is by outlawing political contributions of any sort, to candidates or parties, and only allowing (relatively frugal) public funding of election campaigns for all offices, local to President. No party or private purchase of advertising allowed, either. That's half of it, the other half is stricter ethics laws, leading to a public beheading or two a year in each state.

 

[bdc63]

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States".


I LOVE it! And the chances of it happening are less than zero.