02/21/2017
[reprint of
Rep. Lipinski’s news release]
[J.P. McJefferson comment: I think it is notable that in this effort to reform Congress "The Joint Committee would be made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, 12 members of the House and 12 members of the Senate." This shared power arrangement is what I have been advocating in several previous posts as the the Achilles' heel, the linchpin of Congressional dysfunction -- the one thing, that if you could fix it – Congress would function better. See links to previous posts below.]
[J.P. McJefferson comment: I think it is notable that in this effort to reform Congress "The Joint Committee would be made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, 12 members of the House and 12 members of the Senate." This shared power arrangement is what I have been advocating in several previous posts as the the Achilles' heel, the linchpin of Congressional dysfunction -- the one thing, that if you could fix it – Congress would function better. See links to previous posts below.]
Congressmen
Dan Lipinski (D-IL-3) and Darin LaHood (R-IL-18) have introduced legislation
designed to make Congress work again for the American people. H. Con.
Res. 28 would establish a Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, a
powerful legislative tool that Congress effectively employed three times in the
20th century to overcome legislative dysfunction. This bipartisan,
bicameral committee would be tasked with analyzing suggestions from
congressional experts and the general public, and then making recommendations
for reforming congressional procedures so that Congress could more effectively
address major issues faced by our nation.
“When I was
a teacher, I taught about how Congress operates, but it doesn’t take a
congressional scholar to understand that the Legislative Branch is not working
effectively for the American people,” said Rep. Lipinski. “Americans
understand that the legislative process is not working effectively when they
see Congress failing to act to address major issues until faced with a crisis;
even then Congress waits until the last minute to act or sometimes even fails
to act as we saw with the government shutdown a few years ago. In order
to conduct the peoples’ business more effectively, Congress must streamline
rules and procedures, improve efficiency in the committees and on the floor of
the House and Senate, increase participation of the members in the legislative
process, and encourage bipartisan cooperation. Hopefully, this Joint
Committee would be a good step in creating a Congress that works for the
American people.”
The
Joint Committee would be made up of an equal number of Democrats and
Republicans, 12 members of the House and 12 members of the Senate, with a specific mandate to make
recommendations across the spectrum of needed change in a timely fashion.
The Joint Committee would focus on restoring Congress’ ability to fulfill its
basic responsibilities, including oversight, authorizations, appropriations,
legislation, and passing a budget. Specifically, the Joint Committee
would first look to overhaul the legislative rules and procedures that
internally dictate how Congress operates. Then it would work to empower
legislators to take ownership of the legislative process, debate issues,
introduce amendments, and get laws enacted. Finally, the Joint Committee
would make recommendations to improve the relationship between the people and
Congress. The process would be open to the public and could draw on the
expertise and experiences of the private sector.
“Congress
must earn America
Joint
Committees on Congress have been created at crucial periods before, and have
yielded real results. The Joint Committee of 1945, 1965, and 1992 each
ultimately resulted in necessary reforms that were adopted in the form of
Legislative Reorganization Acts. These Joint Committees were formed at
quarter century intervals, and it’s been 25 years since the last Joint
Committee convened.
The measure
already enjoys a broad coalition of support from former members of Congress,
bipartisan groups focused on congressional reform, and other interested
stakeholders.
“The
formation of a Joint Committee to reform Congress is a great step toward
eliminating the gridlock and hyper partisanship that has infected Congress for
too long and prevented our country from moving forward,” said Mark Strand,
president of the Congressional Institute. “Through the reforms a Joint
Committee will be empowered to recommend, the bill-making process can be opened
up to more lawmakers so they can truly fulfill their duties as
legislators. A Joint Committee can also help repair the broken budget
process and revitalize the standing committees in the U.S. House and Senate so
they function as intended. Significant reforms to the rules and
structures will allow lawmakers to better serve their constituents and give America
“We welcome
the introduction of the Congress of Tomorrow resolution as the starting point
of a discussion on restoring the legislative abilities of Congress,” said the Bipartisan Policy Center
“It is time
for Congress to re-examine its structure, processes, and operations through a
Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress,” stated the Congressional
Management Foundation (CMF). “For nearly 40 years the CMF has conducted a
significant amount of research with congressional offices, Members, staff, and
institutional offices. A thoughtful, bipartisan effort aimed at improving
the institution would result in a better Congress, better laws, and better
service to the American people. CMF applauds Representatives Darin LaHood
and Dan Lipinski for calling for a Joint Committee on the Organization of
Congress.”
Access H. Con. Res. 28
Democracy.io use subject line #H.Con.Res.28
This site was
designed to make it easy to contact your Senators & Representative
Cosponsors
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Links to Previous Postings On Shared Committee Power
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