The Congress Is In Serious Breach Of Contract.

Back in 1994 the United States Congress, lead by Republicans (in the minority at the time) made a contract with the American people. It was called the contract with America and it got the Republicans a clear Majority in the House. The idea was to clean up congress, making the body accountable for it’s actions, and to stop runaway government spending. here’s what it said:

“On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:

* FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
* SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
* THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
* FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
* FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
* SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
* SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
* EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting. ”

People liked the idea and gave the Republicans what they asked for, they also gave them a Republican Senate and a Republican President (in 2000) So how did they live up to the terms of the contract?

* FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;

Let’s take a look at Laws that we have to comply with but Congress is 100% exempt from.

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act

Ethics in Government Act of 1978

Title VI of the 1964 Act prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin

The National Labor Relations Act

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974

And lets not forget the special treatment that congressmen get when they get convicted of a crime, they are 100 times LESS likely to spend a day in jail assuming they ever even get indicted.

Verdict: Congress is in serious breach of contract on this section

* SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;

Congress has never been audited, ever. By anyone.

Verdict: In breach of contract

* THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
house committees
# Committee on Agriculture
# Committee on Appropriations
# Committee on Armed Services
# Committee on the Budget
# Committee on Education and Labor
# Committee on Energy and Commerce
# Committee on Financial Services
# Committee on Foreign Affairs
# Committee on Homeland Security
# Committee on House Administration
# Committee on the Judiciary
# Committee on Natural Resources
# Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
# Committee on Rules
# Committee on Science and Technology
# Committee on Small Business
# Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
# Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
# Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
# Committee on Ways and Means
# Joint Economic Committee
# Joint Committee on Printing
# Joint Committee on Taxation
# House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
# House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

It didn’t get cut by one third, it grew

Verdict: In Breach of contract

* FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;

committee chairs are limited to six years

Verdict: This part of the contract was fulfilled

* FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;

proxy voting is still allowed

Verdict: In Breach of Contract

* SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;

Committee meetings may be closed to the public when committee members vote to do so. The committee on standards of official conduct is closed to the public.

Verdict: In Breach of Contract

* SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;

a simple marjority is all that is needed to pass a tax increase

Verdict: In Breach of Contract

* EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

zero baseline budgeting is not used

Verdict: In Breach of Contract

The Republicans are quick to blame the Democrats for blocking the implementation of this contract but the truth is the Republicans forgot all about after they got what they wanted from us. They had the house the senate and the presidency and they could have implemented every single on of these but instead choose to pursue attacks on our civil liberties.

And they wonder why even people in their own party have disdain for them.

And they claim that Bill Clinton lied to the American people (he did) but they actually broke a contract with us.

Fuck them.