Citizens Congress Inc
"The only safe repository for the ultimate power of a society is in the hands of the people." - Thomas Jefferson
Our Purpose
Our purpose at Citizens Congress Inc. is to write, propose, and help pass into law an amendment to the Constitution to change the structure of the U. S. Congress. Our amendment would ensure a truly representative government and shift the balance of power from political parties, and their wealthy donors to the full spectrum of American Citizens.
Our plan
The Constitution was designed to be amended. Article 5 provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. The Amendment is then sent to the states for ratification. If three-quarters of the states legislatures vote to ratify the amendment it becomes law.
We plan to bring the amendment to the attention of the American people. We believe that once voters see the possibility of having a truly representative government where everyone has an equal voice that they will demand this change. Citizens can make it clear to their Federal and State legislators that to be elected they must pledge support for the Citizens Congress Amendment.
What would the amendment do?
The amendment would fundamentally change Congress with the intention of shifting power from the political parties, lobbyists, and moneyed interests to the full spectrum of American Citizens. This would be accomplished with three major changes.
1. The House of Representatives would change from 435 elected officials to 1000 Citizens chosen by random selection from the roles of Registered Voters. Random selection, in many circles, is now known as sortition. Sortition based systems began in Athens in the third century B.C.
Sortition eliminates the money from campaigns by eliminating the campaigns. Those chosen would serve one-year terms. The House would be authorized to send legislation to the President for signature or veto without Senate approval.
2. The Senate would remain 2 elected members from each state but elections would be fully financed with public funds. Freed from the need to spend half (the amount many Congressmen admit to) of their time begging wealthy corporations and individuals for money Senators would be able to dedicate themselves to initiating legislation that serves all Americans. Any Senator or group of Senators could draft legislation and send to the House for approval without asking their party or donors for permission.
3. Article 1 section 2 of the Constitution would be amended. It currently limits service in the House of Representatives to those 25 years of age or older. Our young military personal take on the greatest responsibility of citizenship. They risk their lives on the front lines in service to their country but are currently prohibited from having a voice in the Congress that holds the authority to declare war. This amendment would ensure that young people who pay the same taxes as older Americans and often bear greater burdens would be fairly represented.
"A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA OR ONLINE AT www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com, REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE." REGISTRATION #: CH53962
LATEST NEWS
After years of thought and months of work, we have gone public with Citizens Congress Inc. We are established as a 501 c4, not for profit corporation. This website, www.citizenscongress.org is online, and our founder has published the book,
Citizens Congress, Common Sense for the Twenty-First Century, by Dan Barnett.
It is available on Amazon. We hope you will consider this proposal to shift the balance of political power to include all of "We the People", and offer your support by sharing the ideas with others. Donations are welcome as well if you choose.
