|
Contract with
America
1994
As
Republican Members of the House of Representatives
and as citizens seeking to join that body we propose
not just to change its policies, but even more
important, to restore the bonds of trust between the
people and their elected representatives.
That is why, in
this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer
instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a
written commitment with no fine print.
This year's
election offers the chance, after four decades of
one-party control, to bring to the House a new
majority that will transform the way Congress works.
That historic change would be the end of government
that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the
public's money. It can be the beginning of a Congress
that respects the values and shares the faith of the
American family.
Like Lincoln,
our first Republican president, we intend to act
"with firmness in the right, as God gives us to
see the right." To restore accountability to
Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace.
To make us all proud again of the way free people
govern themselves.
On the first
day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican
majority will immediately pass the following major
reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of
the American people in their government:
FIRST, require
all laws that apply to the rest of the country also
apply equally to the Congress;
SECOND, select
a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a
comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or
abuse;
THIRD, cut the
number of House committees, and cut committee staff
by one-third;
FOURTH, limit
the terms of all committee chairs;
FIFTH, ban the
casting of proxy votes in committee;
SIXTH, require
committee meetings to be open to the public;
SEVENTH,
require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax
increase;
EIGHTH,
guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget
by implementing zero base-line budgeting.
Thereafter,
within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we
shall bring to the House Floor the following bills,
each to be given full and open debate, each to be
given a clear and fair vote and each to be
immediately available this day for public inspection
and scrutiny.
1. THE FISCAL
RESPONSIBILITY ACT
A balanced
budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative
line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an
out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under
the same budget constraints as families and
businesses.
2. THE TAKING
BACK OUR STREETS ACT
An anti-crime
package including stronger truth-in-sentencing,
"good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions,
effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in
social spending from this summer's "crime"
bill to fund prison construction and additional law
enforcement to keep people secure in their
neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools.
3. THE PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY ACT
Discourage
illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting
welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC
for additional children while on welfare, cut
spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough
two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to
promote individual responsibility.
4. THE FAMILY
REINFORCEMENT ACT
Child support
enforcement, tax incentives for adoption,
strengthening rights of parents in their children's
education, stronger child pornography laws, and an
elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the
central role of families in American society.
5. THE AMERICAN
DREAM RESTORATION ACT
A $500 per
child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax
penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings
Accounts to provide middle class tax relief.
6. THE NATIONAL
SECURITY RESTORATION ACT
No U.S. troops
under U.N. command and restoration of the essential
parts of our national security funding to strengthen
our national defense and maintain our credibility
around the world.
7. THE SENIOR
CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT
Raise the
Social Security earnings limit which currently forces
seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax
hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax
incentives for private long-term care insurance to
let Older Americans keep more of what they have
earned over the years.
8. THE JOB
CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT
Small business
incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral
cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis,
strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and
unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise
worker wages.
9. THE COMMON
SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT
"Loser
pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive
damages and reform of product liability laws to stem
the endless tide of litigation.
10. THE CITIZEN
LEGISLATURE ACT
A first-ever
vote on term limits to replace career politicians
with citizen legislators.
Further, we
will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to
the floor and we will work to enact additional budget
savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included
in the legislation described above, to ensure that
the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would
have been without the enactment of these bills.
Respecting the
judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their
mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to
this Contract with America.
|
