Executive Memorandum posted June 19, 1995 by Dan Greenberg
Pay Freeze and Staff Cuts Needed to Perfect Reformist LegislativeAppropriation Bill
This week, the House of Representatives will consider the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill for FY 1996. The bill will
provide systemic congressional reforms as important as any yet
enacted, including spending cuts, privatization, and abolition of
unnecessary offices and functions. The only significant reforms the
bill fails to address are a pay freeze for…
Backgrounder posted May 16, 1995 by Dan Greenberg
Slashing Congressional Spending, Part I: Congressional Pay,Pensions, Perks, and Staff
INTRODUCTION
Excessive pay, perks, and expenses focused citizen anger on
Congress and helped trigger the 1994 electoral revolution. The new
Republican majorities in the House and Senate moved quickly to cut
staff and expenses and eliminate many of Congress's exemptions from
the law. Further steps are necessary, however, to reduce perks,
reform pensions, and…
Backgrounder posted January 3, 1995 by David Mason, Dan Greenberg
New House Rules: A Victory For Congressional Reform
Introduction
Charges that the Congress is unresponsive, arrogant, and
ultimately ineffective have been an increasingly significant
political issue for the past decade. Now that the 1994 elections
have changed partisan control of Congress and delivered a clear
reform mandate, the new leadership of the House of Representatives
has assembled a package of rules…
Backgrounder posted September 28, 1994 by Dan Greenberg
A Report Card on the 103rd Congress: Failing Grades on Reform
Introduction
As American children begin another year of school, Congress is
ending its two-year session, making it time for a final report
card. In the critical area of congressional reform -- the steps
Congress took to fix its internal problems -- mostly failing grades
are in order.
The tumultuous elections of 1992 led to the largest freshman
class of…
Backgrounder posted August 10, 1994 by Dan Greenberg
Term Limits: The Only Way to Clean Up Congress
INTRODUCTION
The movement to limit political terms is steamrolling through
American politics. Voters have approved term limits for Congressmen
in each of the fifteen states where referenda have been held, with
votes averaging over 66 percent in support, and another four to ten
states will permit their citizens to vote on congressional term
limits this November. If…
Backgrounder Update posted June 8, 1994 by Dan Greenberg
Adding to 'A to Z': A Permanent Lock Box for Spending Cuts
(Archived document, may contain errors) 6/8/94 226 ADDING TO "A TO Z": A PERMANENT LOCK BOX FOR SPENDING CUTS (Updating Backgrounder No. 977, "It's Time for Truth in Voting," February 23, 1994.) The necessity for radical reform in the congressional appropriations process has been recognized by a majority of the House of Representatives. Some 230 Members have…
Backgrounder Update posted March 24, 1994 by Dan Greenberg
New Leadership Proposals Still Leave Congress Above the Law
(Archived document, may contain errors) 218 3/24/94 NEW LEADERSHIP PROPOSALS STILL LEAVE CONGRESS ABOVE THE LAW (Updating Backgrounder No. 965, "Should Congress Be Above the Law?" November 2, 1993.) One might plausibly contend that Congress violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the constitutional doctrine of separation ofpowers when it exonerates itsey'from the…
Backgrounder posted November 2, 1993 by Dan Greenberg
Should Congress Be Above the Law?
(Archived document, may contain errors)
T 965 November 2,1993 SHOULD CONGRESS BE ABOVE THE LAW Congress] can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass of society James Madison, Federalist No. 57 It has been said here many times tonight that we want to treat Senators the same as everyone else Mr.…