THE SUNNY PLAN
	The Sunny Plan for Congressional Reform

  1.   No Crazy Tax Code:  Pass The FairTax Plan (HR 25, S 296).

  2.   No Deficit Spending:  Pass the Balanced Budget Amendment.

• Size of annual budget to be based on Congressional Budget Office projected revenue.

  3.   Priority #1:  Reduce the National Debt by making credit-card-like minimum payments.

• Current interest plus some fixed percent of principal.

  4.   No Earmarks:  Congress only to determine division of remaining budget to departments.

• Departments to prioritize and allocate money to specific projects, similar to grant applications.
• Congress can only make suggestions and help in grant writing.
• EX:  The National Science Foundation decides if pig smell is 'priority' research and how much to spend.

  5.   No Partisan Exclusions:  Not from debate, proposing amendments, or offering alternative bills.

  6.   No Voting Blind:  Read The Bill!  (And no 'emergency legislation' excuses.)

  7.   No 'Legislating in Conference':  Negotiating does not entail adding lots of new material.

  8.   Achieve Legislative Transparency:  Seven-day review period before every vote.

• Bill to be posted on website for 7+ days before vote in sponsoring house.
• Bill to be posted on website for 7+ days before vote in other house.
• Negotiated bill to be posted on website for 7+ days before votes after conference, if necessary.
• Final bill to be posted on website for 7+ days before Presidential signature.
• ... So everyone has a chance to read and respond to legislation before it is enacted.

  9.   Congressional Term Limits:  Twelve consecutive years

• Senate: Maximum of 2 consecutive terms.
• House: Maximum of 3 consecutive terms.
• Minimum of one term to pass before return to Congress, unless switching houses.

  10.   No Special Congressional Benefits:  You are a Civil Servant, not a member of an elite class.

• No special healthcare or retirement benefits.
• Just normal group insurance, Social Security, and 401k-type stuff.

  11.   No Judicial Activism:  New precedents in Constitutional interpretation must undergo a Congressional vote.

• If approved, companion legislation must then be passed.

  12.   No Redirection of Funds:  Funds must be spent as originally voted upon.

• In order to make a change, a new bill must be drafted and passed.
• EX:  TARP money should have been spent as stipulated in bill (buying troubled assets). The switch to no-strings-attached bail-outs would have required new legislation.

  13.   No Meddling and No Dirty Tricks:

• Get rid of "Mark to Market".
• No telling banks who to lend to.
• No refusing to allow banks to pay back TARP funds.
• No after-the-fact strings attached to Stimulus money.
• No firing private sector executives or limiting their pay.
• No after-the-fact legislation to penalize certain individuals or businesses.

  14.   Remember Your Job Responsibility and Liability:

• Committee chairs and members must be individually and collectively held legally responsible for their oversight and for any misrepresentation to the public or other officials.

  15.   Remember Your Job Scope:  Only the powers enumerated in the Constitution of the United States.

  16.   Remember Who's the Boss:  We the People of the United States.

      © Sunny Snaith     Post Office Box 681727, Fort Payne, AL 35968