American government is stupid

[akdiver 3]

I can share my plan for a more well behaved congress if you like (:

Could move them to the areas of Nevada that prostitution is legal. Then there won't be any scandals of regular events, and these old men won't be so angry about trivial things.

What a sexist comment! As if the old women are not also angry about trivial things.

Nevertheless, my not-fully-developed plan includes the following:

1). Repeal the 17th amendment.

2). Add an amendment indicating how Congress must organize itself. Ban the use of committees to keep legislation from getting a full vote. Need more details on this idea, but the idea is to reduce the power of individual members and committee chairs.

3). Eliminate unlimited debate in the senate. It's abused. Alternatively, allow unlimited debate, with the provision that debate must actually occur. No simply "declaring" a filibuster. No reading from telephone books. No long soliloquies. Real debate. Allow the VP (president of the senate) to cut off debate at any time and require a vote. Frankly, I think it would be easier to just have a time limit on debate and require a vote to be taken if 20% of the body wants a vote.

4). Require Congress to specifically state the constitutional basis for each aspect of the legislation or investigation.

5). Create a new court, similar to SCOTUS, that has original jurisdiction over the constitutional approval of new laws and congressional investigations. After the president signs the bill or Congress announces its intent to begin an investigation, this court must examine it and declare it constitutionally valid BEFORE it can go into effect. The court would look at the constitutional basis cited by congress, look at that aspect of the law/investigation, and declare whether or not it is valid. If invalid, then the activity gets sent back to Congress for revision. The current SCOTUS would continue to examine laws that existed prior to this change, and continue to examine cases that came up as a result of ambiguity, conflict, or other sources.

Edited September 11, 2008 by akdiver