As your constituent, and as a citizen fed up with Congress’ failure to make progress on any of America’s problems, I am calling on you to support full enactment of the No Labels Make Congress Work! action plan.
[PLEASE WRITE ONE SENTENCE EXPLAINING WHY THIS PLAN IS IMPORTANT TO YOU]
This 12-point plan, outlined below, provides a blueprint for fixing Congress by immediately reducing hyper-partisanship and gridlock. However, it can’t happen without your leadership and willingness to put political labels aside for the good of our country.
Accordingly, I urge you to fix the broken Congress you are a part of by supporting all of No Labels’ common sense recommendations.
No Labels Make Congress Work! Action Plan:
1. No Budget, No Pay
* Members of Congress will be docked pay for each day that they fail to pass the budget and all appropriations bills for the next fiscal year before the prior fiscal year ends.
2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments [RC]
* All presidential nominations for executive and judicial positions must be confirmed or rejected within 90 days after the Senate receives the completed nomination.
* “Completed” means the submission of all paperwork and background check.
* The 90 days includes both committee and floor action.
* “Rejection” can occur at the committee stage if the nominee fails to obtain majority support in the committee of relevant jurisdiction.
3. Filibuster Reform [RC]
* If senators want to halt action on a bill, they must take to the floor and hold it through sustained debate (i.e. the talking filibuster).
* End filibusters on motions to proceed to debate.
4. Empower the Sensible Majority [RC]
* Reform House and Senate procedures to fast-track legislation with majority support.
* In the House, reform the discharge petition to restore the anonymity that allows individual members to vote without fear of leadership retribution by reversing the 1993 decision to make the process public.
* In the Senate, institute a parallel procedure that would enable majority coalitions to force floor
consideration of bills held up by leaders, committee chairs or individual senators.
5. Make Members Come to Work [L]
* Each four-week congressional period will include three weeks in Washington followed by a week available for working at home with constituents.
* Each week in Washington will consist of a five day workweek.
* The House and Senate will coordinate schedules so they are in Washington during the same weeks.
6. Question Time for the President [L]
* Institute a regular “question period” that brings Congress and the president together.
* President meets with House and Senate respectively on an alternating, monthly basis.
* Each session lasts for 90 minutes and is televised, with the majority and minority parties alternating questions.
7. Fiscal Report to Congress: Hear it. Read it. Sign it. [L]
* Institute an annual report to a joint session of Congress on America’s fiscal condition, coordinated and delivered by a high-ranking, non-partisan official such as the Comptroller General
* The president, vice president, all cabinet members, senators and representatives must attend this fiscal update session and take individual responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the report by signing the report, just as CEOs are required to affirm the accuracy of their companies’ financial reporting.
8. No Pledge but the Oath of Office [CC]
* With 80 percent of Congress having signed pledges to never raise taxes or never cut Social Security, there is no room for compromise on two of the biggest factors in America’s budget deficits. No Labels demands members of Congress make no pledges except the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.
9. Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings [L]
* The House and Senate should institute monthly bipartisan gatherings.
* Gatherings would be off the record and not televised.
* If both sides agree, outside experts could be invited in to brief members on topics of concern.
10. Bipartisan Seating [L]
* At all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.
* On committees and subcommittees, seating also would be arranged in an alternating bipartisan way by agreement between the chair and ranking member.
11. Bipartisan Leadership Committee [L]
* Includes the President pro tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house and the Senate and House majority and minority leaders.
* Includes four open slots for any two members of the Senate and House, determined by lottery on a rotating basis.
* The committee meets weekly and, subject to mutual agreement, monthly with the President.
12. No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents [CC]
* Incumbents of one party should not conduct negative campaigns against incumbent members of the opposing party.
* Members are free to campaign or fundraise in support of candidates from their own party.
* This prohibition would not apply in the case of open seats.
Note: There are four different mechanisms to implement the action plan: codes of conduct (CC), leadership (L), rules changes (RC) and a bill (B). You can read more about each of these reform proposals at: http://nolabels.org/workTime for the people to take back America!
[PLEASE WRITE ONE SENTENCE EXPLAINING WHY THIS PLAN IS IMPORTANT TO YOU]
This 12-point plan, outlined below, provides a blueprint for fixing Congress by immediately reducing hyper-partisanship and gridlock. However, it can’t happen without your leadership and willingness to put political labels aside for the good of our country.
Accordingly, I urge you to fix the broken Congress you are a part of by supporting all of No Labels’ common sense recommendations.
No Labels Make Congress Work! Action Plan:
1. No Budget, No Pay
* Members of Congress will be docked pay for each day that they fail to pass the budget and all appropriations bills for the next fiscal year before the prior fiscal year ends.
2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments [RC]
* All presidential nominations for executive and judicial positions must be confirmed or rejected within 90 days after the Senate receives the completed nomination.
* “Completed” means the submission of all paperwork and background check.
* The 90 days includes both committee and floor action.
* “Rejection” can occur at the committee stage if the nominee fails to obtain majority support in the committee of relevant jurisdiction.
3. Filibuster Reform [RC]
* If senators want to halt action on a bill, they must take to the floor and hold it through sustained debate (i.e. the talking filibuster).
* End filibusters on motions to proceed to debate.
4. Empower the Sensible Majority [RC]
* Reform House and Senate procedures to fast-track legislation with majority support.
* In the House, reform the discharge petition to restore the anonymity that allows individual members to vote without fear of leadership retribution by reversing the 1993 decision to make the process public.
* In the Senate, institute a parallel procedure that would enable majority coalitions to force floor
consideration of bills held up by leaders, committee chairs or individual senators.
5. Make Members Come to Work [L]
* Each four-week congressional period will include three weeks in Washington followed by a week available for working at home with constituents.
* Each week in Washington will consist of a five day workweek.
* The House and Senate will coordinate schedules so they are in Washington during the same weeks.
6. Question Time for the President [L]
* Institute a regular “question period” that brings Congress and the president together.
* President meets with House and Senate respectively on an alternating, monthly basis.
* Each session lasts for 90 minutes and is televised, with the majority and minority parties alternating questions.
7. Fiscal Report to Congress: Hear it. Read it. Sign it. [L]
* Institute an annual report to a joint session of Congress on America’s fiscal condition, coordinated and delivered by a high-ranking, non-partisan official such as the Comptroller General
* The president, vice president, all cabinet members, senators and representatives must attend this fiscal update session and take individual responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the report by signing the report, just as CEOs are required to affirm the accuracy of their companies’ financial reporting.
8. No Pledge but the Oath of Office [CC]
* With 80 percent of Congress having signed pledges to never raise taxes or never cut Social Security, there is no room for compromise on two of the biggest factors in America’s budget deficits. No Labels demands members of Congress make no pledges except the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.
9. Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings [L]
* The House and Senate should institute monthly bipartisan gatherings.
* Gatherings would be off the record and not televised.
* If both sides agree, outside experts could be invited in to brief members on topics of concern.
10. Bipartisan Seating [L]
* At all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.
* On committees and subcommittees, seating also would be arranged in an alternating bipartisan way by agreement between the chair and ranking member.
11. Bipartisan Leadership Committee [L]
* Includes the President pro tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house and the Senate and House majority and minority leaders.
* Includes four open slots for any two members of the Senate and House, determined by lottery on a rotating basis.
* The committee meets weekly and, subject to mutual agreement, monthly with the President.
12. No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents [CC]
* Incumbents of one party should not conduct negative campaigns against incumbent members of the opposing party.
* Members are free to campaign or fundraise in support of candidates from their own party.
* This prohibition would not apply in the case of open seats.
Note: There are four different mechanisms to implement the action plan: codes of conduct (CC), leadership (L), rules changes (RC) and a bill (B). You can read more about each of these reform proposals at: http://nolabels.org/workTime for the people to take back America!
