The US Federal system that administers our Democratic Republic has some serious problems. It doesn’t need to be destroyed; it needs to be improved. Here are some specific areas and proposals.
Elections
- End all non-citizen donations, in money or in kind. Only beating-heart people can contribute, and only to a uniform maximum amount to prevent some people from being “more equal.”
Constraining the President
- Revoke the Justice Department memo that establishes a policy (not a law) that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Individual prosecutions can be scheduled according to the degree of urgency.
- End Presidential Immunity for all crimes, period. This accords with our nation’s powerful, established and respected tradition: the law applies to all equally. No president should break the law.
- End Presidential Pardons. These are pure abuse.
- Presidents may accept no money, no gifts, no bribes, no gratitude from any person, place or thing. Presidents and their family members should be required to repay any profits from anything related to the presidential office 10-fold.
- Presidents and candidates must release the prior 10 years of tax documents in their completeness.
- Presidents and candidates must release detailed medical reports annually, in a format recognized by the AMA.
- Presidents may be no older than 65 years old at the beginning of their first term, and no older than 69 years old at the beginning of their second term.
- Presidents may not be convicted felons. Convictions begin upon the pronunciation of guilt.
- Recess appointments must be discontinued.
Legislation
- Renegotiate the Border Bill of 2024 and get it to the president.
- Expand FICA taxes to include the full income of all citizens.
- Enshrine women’s access to birth healthcare. Negotiate time limits for discretionary abortions, but do not interfere with women and doctors addressing medical emergencies.
- Overturn Citizens United. SCOTUS got this one outright wrong: corporations are not people. If corporations wish to remain people, they must be legally embodied in the CEO and officers of the moment, who must assume 100% of corporate liability for their governing period, for life. CEOs must serve prison sentences for corporate crimes, and repay illegal renumeration 3-fold.
- End Police Immunity. Individuals must take responsibility for their own actions. All law enforcement officers must carry a bond and insurance for malpractice or other crimes.
- End Statutes of Limitations for major crimes. Responsibility for all actions must be for life.
- Enshrine the ACA.
- Update law on Treason and Insurrection to include actions like those on January 6, 2021. Penalties for these severe crimes must be swift, severe and mandatory.
Constraining the Supreme Court
- Eliminate political appointments of Justices. Justices must be selected from qualified candidates, background-checked, rigorously checked for alcohol, drug, spousal or other abuse.
- Term Limits
- Age Limits
- A Code of Ethics with teeth, administered by the DOJ and enforced on Justices
- A Conflict of Interest policy with teeth as well
- No money, no gifts, no bribes (beforehand), no gratuities (afterward) from anyone or anything, all-inclusive, during a Justice’s term and for 10 years afterwards.
Constraining the DOJ and Courts
- Must be isolated from presidential control and the politics of the moment.
- Term limits
- End appointments; enforce a selection process
- End lifetime appointments and positions
- Enshrine Special Prosecutors in specific legislation
Controlling the Police
- All law enforcement officers must be required to carry a bond and insurance, and must bear individual liability for their actions over and above any agency coverage.
- End Qualified Immunity
- End Sovereign Immunity
- Police must be forbidden to investigate or exonerate themselves.
Constitutional
- Abolish the Electoral College
Constraining the Legislature
- Ban all trading, investment and profiteering during all elected officials’ terms and for 10 years afterwards
- No money, no gifts, no bribes (beforehand), no gratuities (afterwards), no income of any kind from office, or from dealing with any discussed entity for 10 years after their term
- End the Filibuster
- Term Limits
- Age Limits
Controlling the Military
- Require Pentagon audits
- Require environmental cleanups, at the greatest possible speed, and with lifetime (of the USA) liability for all sites and actions
Constraining Business
- Personal responsibility for all business leaders, for all actions during their terms and consequences in perpetuity. An individual person must personally represent any business in order for it to be considered a “person,” and this person must bear all consequences in perpetuity, and their entire family to the seventh generation.