Blog

There can’t be many U.S. citizens who doubt that corruption emanating from D.C. is rampant. The depth of the corruption is beyond the grasp of most Americans. Politicians refuse to address it because many of them are direct beneficiaries. The press/media, for reasons beyond my comprehension, stopped investigating or reporting on corruption unless it originates from Republicans. There is almost no chance of stopping it entirely. With a nonpolitician Republican President serving his second, and last term in office, and a Republican House and Senate, there may never be a better time to strike further blows against corruption. What follows is a list, although admittedly not a comprehensive list, of the changes we must demand from our elected representatives. I recognize what follows is a wish list. So, I’ll start with what I think should be low hanging fruit.

First, we have to demand that laws get passed requiring members of Congress to play by the same rules as the rest of us. For example, any member of Congress while speaking from the floor of the House or the Senate is allowed to defame or spread known lies about any American citizen. They may do so with impunity. Such behavior is not only shocking, it should be punished. To exhibit such a lack of integrity should disqualify the perpetrator from leadership positions in Congress. This one should be easy. Sadly, it probably won’t be.

We must insist that our lawmakers pass a law that precludes members of Congress from being paid during government shutdowns. It should stipulate that members forfeit, yes, forfeit, their paychecks during future government shutdowns. This one simple law would encourage members to do their jobs so that shutdowns that hurt millions of Americans could be avoided. They would certainly be shortened.

In Nov. of 2011, the TV news magazine, “60 Minutes” aired a blistering expose about the rampant inside trading going on in Congress. One definition of inside trading is the buying or selling of a company’s securities by individuals who possess material, nonpublic, information about that company. Few people have more access to nonpublic information than those responsible for making laws and regulations that affect private companies. The disclosure awakened the American people to one of the abuses of privilege enriching our elected officials. While it is impossible to embarrass those without a conscience, President Obama and Congress recognized the potential erosion of trust that report could engender. I’m sure it was coincidental that in his 1/24/2012 State of the Union Address, President Obama said to Congress, “Send me a bill that bans inside trading by members of Congress, and I will sign it tomorrow”. Members responded with uproarious applause. Then on 4/4/2012, less than 3 months later, Obama signed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act. The Senate voted 96-3 and the House voted 417-2 in favor. When is the last time a bill this controversial passed with almost unanimous consent in less than 90 days? We should have smelled a rat. We should have known that to get this kind of bipartisan participation the bill had to be replete with loopholes. The STOCK Act required members of Congress to make a financial disclosure of any trade over $1,000 in a publicly searchable way. That disclosure was required within 45 days of the trade. The bill hung a pitiful $200 fine on any member who didn’t comply. That’s right, $200!! (One year later, on a Friday afternoon in less than 1 minute, without debate, an almost empty House Chamber voted to gut the reporting requirements of the bill. With no fanfare, no press/media, President Obama signed the bill). But that’s not the end of the insult. Members have basically ignored the law altogether. To date, even though there have been dozens upon dozens of violations, I couldn’t find a single case where a member was forced to pay even that paltry fine. About 86% of the American people are in favor of putting an end to congressional inside trading. Given Congress’ unwillingness to police itself it is time for us to demand that our legislative leaders pass a bill banning all stock trades while in office. PERIOD! Simple, no loopholes, no gimmicks. It should include their spouses and immediate family. The same should apply to congressional and executive staffers, their spouses, and immediate family members. It’s time to make a decision. Are you a public servant, or a stock trader?

A cornerstone of our Constitutional Republic is the integrity of our elections. No matter who wins, the other side hollers about the election being rigged. The uncertainty undermines our Republic. The Trump administration must take advantage of this moment and ask Congress to make changes in election laws to solidify their integrity. They should be asked to require a photo ID before anyone is allowed to vote in person or by mail, in national elections. Changes should be made disallowing the counting of ballots received after polls are closed on election day. To count ballots received days after election day only adds to the opportunity for fraud. We have seen too many occasions where voting machines have either malfunctioned or been manipulated. Congress should pass laws outlawing “ballot harvesting” and creating serious penalties for those who continue to do so. It is time for us to go back to paper ballots. Such a change would likely delay our receiving election results, but it would add credibility to the entire exercise of producing an election we can trust.

The way we conduct our census is ridiculous. By including illegal aliens in the count, “sanctuary” states receive outsized representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. States like California are experiencing an exodus of citizens. They buttress their declining citizen population by welcoming legions of illegals. It is estimated there are currently 2.6 million illegal aliens in California. In that there is a finite number of House members, 435, their apportionment is a zero-sum game. That means that when one state gains a seat, some other state must lose one. As per the 2020 census data, there are 761,169 people per each House seat. That means California keeps 3 seats, 2.6 million divided by 761,169, they would lose if noncitizens were excluded in the count. It simultaneously means that a state, or states, are being denied 3 seats entitled to them. The result is that American citizens are being underrepresented in Congress. It also provides “sanctuary” states additional seats in the Electoral College which is responsible for electing our President. That millions of citizens from other countries influence the outcome of our presidential election is beyond outrageous.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the #1 item on Americans wish list. Nearly 90% of Americans are in favor of passing congressional term limit legislation. I would love to see the Trump administration give this popular idea a try. I’ll not, nor should you, hold your breath that our elected representatives will do what their constituents want. I’d like to see who supports the idea.

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest thoughts. I hope you found them informative and/or interesting. Bob