CABA – THE CONGRESSIONAL ADULT BEHAVIOR ACT: RECTIFYING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY OUR POLITICIANS

Many Americans now find it very evident that we are living through the worst and most incompetent group of Washington politicians in our country’s history. Think about the damage that this group of ineffective presidents and members of Congress have caused to our freedom and economy: •A personal debt burden of $54,000 for each man, woman, and kid in our nation, and a national debt rapidly reaching $17 trillion. •unemployment that has exceeded 7% for an unprecedented amount of months in a row. •More than 20 million Americans are underemployed or jobless. •a federal government that, without a warrant or other legal basis, surreptitiously intercepts almost all electronic communications held by nearly every American. •A federal government that wastes hundreds of billions of public money annually due to its inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and programs rife with criminal fraud. • An extensive, convoluted tax law that hinders economic expansion, overseen by an IRS agency that openly acknowledges it is unable to collect more than $380 billion in unpaid taxes annually. •a military/industrial complex that devours more than $600 billion in public funds annually and meddles in international affairs with never-ending beneficial effects. •the failure to address any of the pressing issues of the day, such as the lost war on drugs, the persistent undereducation of American children in comparison to other nations, the absence of a cogent national energy policy, and the absence of a strategy to rein in the skyrocketing costs of health care (no, Obamacare does nothing of the sort in this area.) The embarrassment of a government shutdown is being imposed upon us in the face of these massive failures because 535 members of Congress and a few more in the White House are unable to even draft a simple budget, a task that the federal government has performed for more than two centuries, for better or worse. Not even this fundamental government work can be completed by these Washington idiots of today. Remember that the majority of these individuals waited until the last minute to approve a budget, failing to prevent a government shutdown, and then took a five-week vacation in August. Remember that the majority of these individuals have held public office for many years, and they contribute to both this disgrace and the ongoing inability to confront and resolve the most pressing problems of our day. Remember that the most intelligent things that come out of most of their lips are only taunts and slurs from kindergarten or infancy that serve only to further polarize the country. Therefore, it is time for us to reclaim our power as a nation and implement the congressional adult behavior act, or caba. Washington’s actions and comments over the last several years have come nothing near to representing grownup conduct. It’s time to bind these immature individuals with straitjackets and keep them responsible for adhering to the caba’s following principles: 1) Caba provision number 1: Until their constitutionally required budget requirements and deadlines are achieved, members of Congress must pay a $500 fee each day that a significant congressional budget deadline is not reached during the fiscal year. Rationale: Participating in the creation and management of the federal government’s budget process is one of the few duties assigned to members of Congress. If this isn’t done, the government’s financial management becomes careless, the market becomes unpredictable, and the nation becomes embarrassed. There are real-world repercussions for missing deadlines. Not achieving budget deadlines should have repercussions for the White House and Congress as well. These lawmakers in Washington would likely be more inclined to concentrate on their legally-mandated budgetary duties if they were fined $500 every day. 2) Caba provision number two: in the unlikely event that the president and congress are unable to reach a consensus on a budget by the end of the fiscal year, not only will the government cease to exist and no one will be paid, but they will also be fined $1,000 per day until the government reopens. Just like with CAAPA clause number 1, the executive branch and members of congress are paid to maintain the government in order to serve the interests of the people. There need to be penalties for not doing so. 3) Caba Clause Number 3: Any member of Congress serving on a congressional committee must be responsible for the matters within their committees’ purview and shall forfeit their committee membership in the event that they fail to fulfill their duties. A survey that is annually submitted with each taxpayer’s tax return will be the basis for the decision on the fine or removal. Justification: Regardless of how badly such committees function, members of Congress often serve on them for an unlimited amount of time. Once again, we are discussing these politicians’ total lack of responsibility. For instance, all of the members of the congressional intelligence committees who failed to defend the nation from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, would have faced fines and/or removal from their positions if the caba clause had been in effect. The IRS freely acknowledges that it is unable to track down tax evaders and loses over $380 billion annually, forcing honest, hardworking Americans to pay more taxes than they would have if the IRS had been doing its job. All congressional members on committees responsible for overseeing the IRS under this caba clause would be subject to a fine or removal from their committee positions for neglecting their duties. Perform well to get committee positions and keep your pay high. if you do poorly, you risk losing money, losing your committee positions, and being fired. Life is like that outside the beltway. 4) Caba provision number 4: Under this provision, Congressmen would no longer automatically get salary increases each year; instead, a merit-based performance evaluation that is included in the taxpayer’s yearly income tax return would take its place. Justification: In the actual world, most employees get compensation depending on how effectively their managers assess the caliber and value of their labor. This procedure need to be extended to our political class as well, because each and every American is the boss of the elected individuals in Washington. Every taxpayer would have the chance to assess the performance of the executive branch and Congress over the course of the previous year, with a focus on respect and cooperation between political parties. High scores would result in pay increases for incumbent politicians, while low grades would result in pay reductions. 5) Caba Provision Number 5: During their tenure of office or until their net worth drops below $3 million, senators, presidents, and members of the house of representatives with a net worth above $3 million are not allowed to take salary. Justification: Nancy Pelosi is said to be worth around $35 million. She was able to engage in about 10 ipos while in office, as permitted by existing congressional regulations, and she earned hundreds of thousands of dollars as a consequence of this insider stock link, according to a sixty minutes article. With a $17 trillion national debt and a $35 million personal fortune, Nancy Pelosi and similar figures are well-off and do not need government funding. Being a member of the executive branch or legislature ought to be an honor rather than a campaign for one’s own self-enrichment. A serving politician would not get compensation if their wealth exceeded that of the ordinary American. 6) Caba Provision Number 6: A fee would be imposed, at the discretion of an impartial, independent panel of adults, for infantile and vulgar epithets aimed toward a fellow politician, a group of politicians, an individual American citizen, or a group of American people. Justification: In recent years, politicians in Washington have referred to their rivals as a___h___s, sluts, prostitutes, terrorists, racists, barbarians, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals, and other such juvenile and vulgar terms. Language like this has no place in America’s leadership. It erects barriers, silences debate, and obstructs advancement and compromise. These same officials in Washington have denigrated American individuals for holding sincere but divergent opinions on several matters, branding them as terrorists, racists, and desiring their exile in hell. The penalties for these petty and vulgar remarks directed at regular Americans would be twice as high as those set down for political rivals using derogatory language. Same as with kids, curse and you’ll pay for it. Perhaps if these penalties could bring a little civility and maturity to Washington’s political discourse, the political elite would really find a way to solve issues instead of inciting anger and hostility against common Americans. 7) Caba provision number 7: Considering the previously mentioned list of unfulfilled objectives, the imposition of term limits for all federally elected lawmakers would be the last clause in the caba. Justification: Despite the political elite in Washington having failed miserably overall, they are still able to manipulate the country’s voting systems, and their crony capitalism guarantees that they will always have access to campaign funds for their endless reelection campaigns. In order to replace the juvenile and immature individuals now holding the leading positions in our country, we need to put a mechanism in place that guarantees an ongoing influx of fresh individuals and innovative ideas. seven easy guidelines that restore responsibility and mature conduct to our political systems. It is long overdue that we take back control of our nation and, in the process, restore the freedoms and rights protected by the constitution and the bill of rights. Resolving problems should be the primary goal of the government and its representatives rather than winning reelection. The easiest way to put it is to quote Mark Twain: I repeat myself, but assume you are an idiot and a member of Congress. It’s time to fire the fools and install some true grownups in leadership positions to mend the damage caused by the present crop of naive, immature politicians. related articles: national debt, unemployment, grownups, infantile, politicians, term limits, Congress, Washington