CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE SAME BENEFITS AS REG FEDS
Congress and their staffs should be subjected to the same benefits as regular feds.
1. FERS
2. Paying health insurance.
Browse Ideas with tag 'congress':
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I agree
Voting is Disabled437 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »19 comments for Idea: CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE SAME BENEFITS AS REG FEDS -
I agree
Voting is Disabled
313 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »CUT FROM THE TOP
15% pay cut for the Senate and Congress Members effective immediately. Retirement benefits and pension for Senate and Congress members cut by 75% (current members and those already retired). Government (free) Healthcare for Senate and Congress members cut 100% to allow them to purchase their own Healthcare Package and pay into healthcare system. Basically start cuts from the top and work downward (spenditure, travel, ...more »
15 comments for Idea: CUT FROM THE TOP15% pay cut for the Senate and Congress Members effective immediately.
Retirement benefits and pension for Senate and Congress members cut by 75% (current members and those already retired).
Government (free) Healthcare for Senate and Congress members cut 100% to allow them to purchase their own Healthcare Package and pay into healthcare system.
Basically start cuts from the top and work downward (spenditure, travel, property, and finance).
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
282 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Congressional pay during a furlough
5 comments for Idea: Congressional pay during a furloughDuring federal government furloughs due to a budget impasse make Congress work, but don't pay them for that time. This will encourage them to more quickly come to a deal.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
246 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Stop balancing the budget on the backs of Federal employees
Federal employees work hard to oversee and manage the programs of the Federal government. The budget should not be balanced on their backs. If you cut pay raises, bonuses, potential for growth and development, you will decrease employee moral. People will lose their jobs and you will increase the unemployment rate. The Federal workforce should be acknowledged for what it does and not become the scapegoat for an inefficient ...more »
26 comments for Idea: Stop balancing the budget on the backs of Federal employeesFederal employees work hard to oversee and manage the programs of the Federal government. The budget should not be balanced on their backs. If you cut pay raises, bonuses, potential for growth and development, you will decrease employee moral. People will lose their jobs and you will increase the unemployment rate. The Federal workforce should be acknowledged for what it does and not become the scapegoat for an inefficient Congress.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
234 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »congressional salaries
18 comments for Idea: congressional salariesReduce or eliminate congressional salaries for anyone with a net worth more than $3,000,000, or with an income greater than $300,000 per year. These fools spend millions for a job that pays $174,000 - so do they really need the salary?
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
117 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Make Congress Work More Days Each Year
What does it look like to have so many people unemployed and have a part-time Congress. Make Congress stay in session longer. They just came back from a ten (10) day break. An average of 160-190 workdays is too light for the problems that we have. Make it mandatory that a Congress' Session Calendar be posted to each Member's website, so that we can see what their workweek looks like. Basically, it is a three day week. ...more »
8 comments for Idea: Make Congress Work More Days Each YearWhat does it look like to have so many people unemployed and have a part-time Congress. Make Congress stay in session longer. They just came back from a ten (10) day break. An average of 160-190 workdays is too light for the problems that we have. Make it mandatory that a Congress' Session Calendar be posted to each Member's website, so that we can see what their workweek looks like. Basically, it is a three day week. If they are going to be part-time, they should be paid accordingly.
http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_numbers.html
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Voting is Disabled
113 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Eliminate 5 yr minimum for congressional pensions and Social Sec
4 comments for Idea: Eliminate 5 yr minimum for congressional pensions and Social SecMake them have to work for 20 or 30 years like the rest of us. What is this 5 year thing? That is ridiculous. In 5 years what have they really done?
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
111 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Congress Reform
This proposal will never come to law but I would like to submit the idea. I believe that all taxpayers would support this change to all members of Congress with minor moderations. 1.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President should enter into a pay scale similar to those of the government employees. Notice, I said similar. 2.) All members of Congress should pay into and draw from Social Security. ...more »
8 comments for Idea: Congress ReformThis proposal will never come to law but I would like to submit the idea. I believe that all taxpayers would support this change to all members of Congress with minor moderations.
1.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President should enter into a pay scale similar to those of the government employees. Notice, I said similar.
2.) All members of Congress should pay into and draw from Social Security.
3.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President should pay for medical care in a manner in which all government employees do.
4.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President when the leave office should not draw any pay (their job has ended) from the taxpayers for the rest of their lives. Their medical should stop also. Give them the same option as we have to continue their medical at their expense.
5.) No policy and/or law should be passed that puts any member of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President above the citizens of the United States of America.
6.) We have a law that states the budget must be approved and in place by October 1 of each year. Then Congress created a new law that goes around the above law. This is called a Continuing Resolution (CR). Just enforce the first law and we are good. I can think of many ways to help.
I do realize a member of Congress is not Government Employee but the policies they pass for themselves puts them above everyone else and that should not be the case. I fully supports our system but it needs to be reevaluated.
If those who are making decisions for us are a part of the system, then the system itself will be fixed. Until that happens it won’t.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
80 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Mandatory term limits for all Congress
Imagine a government where our leaders were rotated every 4-8 years regardless of their ability to raise campaign funds or create strong political alliances. I think that Congress (both sides) get paid too much for too little. Their reward for two or more terms of service? Lifetime benefits. If we capped our public servants at two terms, they would have incentives to get as much done as possible during those two terms ...more »
5 comments for Idea: Mandatory term limits for all CongressImagine a government where our leaders were rotated every 4-8 years regardless of their ability to raise campaign funds or create strong political alliances. I think that Congress (both sides) get paid too much for too little. Their reward for two or more terms of service? Lifetime benefits.
If we capped our public servants at two terms, they would have incentives to get as much done as possible during those two terms rather than fighting for political survival first, and worrying about the people second. Also, they should lose their benefits after they leave service, just like the military. I am a Disabled Veteran who was not medically retired and when I was forced to get out of the Corps, my benefits, pay and entitlements ended. So should our leaders as frankly they can afford it way better than our military can.
Also, they shouldnt be able to vote on their own pay. Immediately reduce the pay of all elected officials to $75,000 a year and cap it so that we attract people who want to serve, not who want to get rich and stay in power forever.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
71 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Evaluate government agencies for potential consolidation
11 comments for Idea: Evaluate government agencies for potential consolidationThere are many agency programs, areas of work, programs, etc., that are redundant or nearly identical to other agencies. Consider a 20-year plan of reduction and consolidation while balancing that with the need to get something done. There may be instances where combining two small agencies would be less efficient. But this will take some study.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
71 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Utilize the Site
Mandate that the top 100 ideas at a minimum are forwarded to the involved agency executive for review and comment. There are an extensive amount of valuable ideas here that may not score number one. It would be tremendous waste of effort if those below number one were not reviewed for consideration. We all have an idea or two here, we all put effort into this, what a waste if the ideas were simply deleted. Mandate ...more »
6 comments for Idea: Utilize the SiteMandate that the top 100 ideas at a minimum are forwarded to the involved agency executive for review and comment.
There are an extensive amount of valuable ideas here that may not score number one. It would be tremendous waste of effort if those below number one were not reviewed for consideration. We all have an idea or two here, we all put effort into this, what a waste if the ideas were simply deleted.
Mandate that they are reviewed and not thrown out with the trash.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
70 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Pass a two, three, five year budget
1 comment for Idea: Pass a two, three, five year budgetThe fact the Congress cannot pass a budget is ridilicous. In order to avoid excessive Continuing Resolutions, Congress should pass a multi-year budget. This would mean that the budget would only be looked at every few years, yearly earmarks could be avoided (saving money), and Congress can focus more of its time on passing legislation that can have a real impact.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
69 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Eliminate military air support to Congress
While members of Congress need to see military operations up colse and personal, there is far too much reliance on military aircraft to transport, not just members of Congress, but their staffs. The military rolls out the red carpet for all Congressional staffers and goes above and beyond for actual members, to include support for their families (I have been a military escort to numerous members and have been asked to ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Eliminate military air support to CongressWhile members of Congress need to see military operations up colse and personal, there is far too much reliance on military aircraft to transport, not just members of Congress, but their staffs. The military rolls out the red carpet for all Congressional staffers and goes above and beyond for actual members, to include support for their families (I have been a military escort to numerous members and have been asked to provide transportation to the Mall or the beach, etc. for wives and children of Members). There needs to be ethics rules in place or reimbursment required for any Congressional or staffer travel or support outside a warzone.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
66 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Congress gets no pay until they PASS a budget, Oct 1 $0 pay !!!
This is getting pretty sad and makes life hard for all government agencies. The last Congress should have passed the budget before the election. The lame duck Congress should have finished it. Now this House passed it and the Senate and them need to learn to reconcile. Once the FY starts Congress should have all pay with held from them till they get their jobs done. If I didn't get results I would be disciplined ...more »
2 comments for Idea: Congress gets no pay until they PASS a budget, Oct 1 $0 pay !!!This is getting pretty sad and makes life hard for all government agencies.
The last Congress should have passed the budget before the election. The lame duck Congress should have finished it.
Now this House passed it and the Senate and them need to learn to reconcile. Once the FY starts Congress should have all pay with held from them till they get their jobs done.
If I didn't get results I would be disciplined and risk losing pay, why should they get fat checks while they mismange?
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
64 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Don't Borrow Federal Retirement Funds
Do not allow the Treasury Department to borrow money from Federal Retirement Funds. Removing money from any fund in the TSP will result in losses and could potentially have direct impacts on retirement funds. Stating "TSP participants should have nothing to worry about" does not guarantee there will be no impact. Even if they paid back the borrowed amount plus interest, where would we get back our "earnings" for the ...more »
3 comments for Idea: Don't Borrow Federal Retirement FundsDo not allow the Treasury Department to borrow money from Federal Retirement Funds. Removing money from any fund in the TSP will result in losses and could potentially have direct impacts on retirement funds. Stating "TSP participants should have nothing to worry about" does not guarantee there will be no impact. Even if they paid back the borrowed amount plus interest, where would we get back our "earnings" for the amount? We would be out that much more money in a so-called "no-risk" account.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
59 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »HOLD CONGRESS ACCOUNTABLE
2 comments for Idea: HOLD CONGRESS ACCOUNTABLEIf members fail to do their job, ie budget, make it to sessions, work etc they should NOT be allowed to claim that year as a year served. In the Ntl. Guard if you do not get enough points for that year, it does not count as a good year for retirement. Congress should be forced to perform or suffer a bad year. These dems in Minnesota who are AWOL from voting should be fired!
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
54 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Sequester Congress
Make it illegal to have a government shutdown. If no budget is passed by October 1st, then the government automatically runs on last year's budget until there is a budget. Meanwhile, sequester the members of Congress, the way a jury is sequestered; that is, no one leaves until a budget is passed. Government agencies wasted so much time and energy preparing for a possible shutdown. We should have been working on our ...more »
5 comments for Idea: Sequester CongressMake it illegal to have a government shutdown. If no budget is passed by October 1st, then the government automatically runs on last year's budget until there is a budget. Meanwhile, sequester the members of Congress, the way a jury is sequestered; that is, no one leaves until a budget is passed. Government agencies wasted so much time and energy preparing for a possible shutdown. We should have been working on our missions.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
49 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »1099 ELECTED OFFICIALS
2 comments for Idea: 1099 ELECTED OFFICIALSElected officials should be paid as non-employees. That means they would get no benefits and would receive a 1099 at the end of the year. They would be responsible for their own expenses, retirement, and taxes.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
45 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »TAX POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
Add your comment for Idea: TAX POLITICAL CAMPAIGNSPolitical campaigns should be taxed just as any business is taxed. These campaigns raise millions of dollars that are non taxable expense accounts for the politicians. At a 20-28% tax rate that would greatly help the economy
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
42 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Politician Pay for Performance
Many are clamouring for pay for performance for federal employees. How about the 641 members of the house and senate who make an average of $174,000 per year while being out of Washington for 15 weeks a year. I propose that their pay be reduced to $65,000 per annum until the deficit is under $50,000,000 and the debt is less than $2B. If they are late with a budget, i.e. it is not passed by October 1st, then they don't ...more »
5 comments for Idea: Politician Pay for PerformanceMany are clamouring for pay for performance for federal employees. How about the 641 members of the house and senate who make an average of $174,000 per year while being out of Washington for 15 weeks a year.
I propose that their pay be reduced to $65,000 per annum until the deficit is under $50,000,000 and the debt is less than $2B.
If they are late with a budget, i.e. it is not passed by October 1st, then they don't leave Washington until they've done their job and passed one that reduces the deficit by at lease 30% each year.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
40 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Reduce Wait Time for Retirement Pay
2 comments for Idea: Reduce Wait Time for Retirement PayWith the growing number of FERS employees retiring or becoming eligible to retire, a system for checks and balances needs to be addressed to ensure retirees begin receiving their full entitlements within the first six months of retirement. This would limit the need for retirees to seek new employment and/or outside help.
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
38 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »A Trillion Dollar waste - WELFARE,section8 ,low income housing
http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income ...more »
5 comments for Idea: A Trillion Dollar waste - WELFARE,section8 ,low income housinghttp://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . remember that all secion 8 and low income housing authoritys are TAX FREE and you pay the costs of educating the people and their rents are susidized and food and insurance are subsidized and paid for. its like the midlle and upper class is paying triple to live, we all have to pay for everyone else.. its not fair..http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
36 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Continuing Resolutions
Operating government by CR, rather than establishing a budget before it expires, results in wasted time for both Congress and federal agencies. Many agencies can not press on with their plans and for projects that require firm funding without an approved budget. Suggest that Congress focus more on operating the government and passing budgets, rather than on elections and challenges to laws that were inacted by a previous ...more »
2 comments for Idea: Continuing ResolutionsOperating government by CR, rather than establishing a budget before it expires, results in wasted time for both Congress and federal agencies. Many agencies can not press on with their plans and for projects that require firm funding without an approved budget. Suggest that Congress focus more on operating the government and passing budgets, rather than on elections and challenges to laws that were inacted by a previous Congress. This will help keep the government operating efficiently and instill greater faith in our nation's "leadership."
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
35 votes
This idea is active.Increasing Trade, Exports, and Overall Competitiveness »Adopt new tax system
Repeal the current tax code(s) and replace with the fair tax. It will "instantly" enrichen everyone including the US Government - we need drastic action to deal with this global economic meltdown. Fair tax will fix it all - almost overnight. All one really has to do is ask one's self- how is the current system working for you? Answer = we're bankrupt. Does 1 trillion dollars really exist? http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_main ...more »
2 comments for Idea: Adopt new tax systemRepeal the current tax code(s) and replace with the fair tax. It will "instantly" enrichen everyone including the US Government - we need drastic action to deal with this global economic meltdown. Fair tax will fix it all - almost overnight.
All one really has to do is ask one's self- how is the current system working for you?
Answer = we're bankrupt.
Does 1 trillion dollars really exist?
http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_main
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I agree
Voting is Disabled
33 votes
This idea is active.Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »Stop the Pork!!!
2 comments for Idea: Stop the Pork!!!Pass a law which removes right of of legislative branch to add any additional items and entitlements to other bills.
Include a line item veto provision for the President to use for any expenditure he/she doesn't agree with. If the voters feel the President lined out items inappropriately, we will get a different President next time or use the Senate to ship the offending one before the end of his/her current term.