You have a One-Two Punch that will make Congress READ!
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Hi, I'm Dr. Jo Jorgensen, the 2020 Presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party. This is my second message to you about three powerful bills already introduced in Congress. I'm talking to...
- 67,000 of the best people who subscribed to my campaign email list.
- 7,000 members of Agenda Setters by Downsize DC.
I've joined with Agenda Setters to pass the three bills I'm describing to you in these messages.
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In my previous message, I explained the OSTA (One Subject at a Time Act). Congressional leaders routinely sneak unpopular measures into unrelated bills.
OSTA would end this clustering, plus...
- Slow government growth
- Shrink the power of congressional leaders
- Make your reps more accountable to you
Next comes...
The Read the Bills Act (RTBA)
This bill does exactly what its name suggests. It would require Congress to read bills before it votes on them. Specifically...
Every bill must be read aloud before a quorum of the House and Senate before a vote can be held.
That kicks off a seven-day waiting period. During this time, the bill must be posted online. That way, you and I can read the bill ourselves and have time to provide feedback.
Obviously, some members voting for a bill may miss the quorum reading. That's why RTBA includes a crucial safeguard. Each member who plans to vote For a bill is required to sign an affidavit. The affidavit affirms they’ve read the bill themselves or heard every word read aloud.
Finally, RBTA prohibits courts from enforcing any measure where the enabling legislation violated these requirements. Show the judge that Congress slouched on these responsibilities, and your case gets dismissed with prejudice.
OSTA and RTBA provide a powerful one-two punch!
OSTA shortens bills by making them about a single subject. Shorter bills will be easier to read and understand.
RTBA requires that these shorter bills are actually read. This is essential to the whole idea of representative government.
If ignorance of the law is no excuse for you when you violate a law, such ignorance certainly cannot be permitted to the people who pass our laws.
The quorum reading requirement and the waiting period will also force Congress to slow down and deliberate. It will give them time to debate and receive feedback from the people they represent.
The result should be fewer bad laws and less rapid government growth.
The Plan to Pass the Read the Bills Act
Jim Babka and Perry Willis at Agenda Setters by Downsize DC have created a super-powerful and simple way to get OSTA and RTBA passed.
Recruit 300 people per district to visit local congressional offices in groups of three to five people per week, week after week, until your reps agree to co-sponsor RTBA.
We believe most members of Congress will bow to this relentless pressure for several reasons...
It's painful to tell constituents no when they are actually in your office, but harder still when you have to do so constantly to whole groups of them week after week.
But it's even more difficult when the constituents are asking for things you ought to be doing anyway.
OSTA and RTBA are common sense reforms. Few members of Congress will want to risk ads in their district pointing out that they have opposed these bills.
We'll keep applying pressure until we have 218 House reps and 51 Senators – majorities both. That way, we can get around the leadership using a "discharge petition" to force a vote. And, given that we already have a majority, we will win the vote and pass RTBA.
Option Activism and The 300
Three hundred Spartans famously held off many thousands of Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae. We think 300 citizens could have an equally heroic effect in your district. An idea called Option Activism will help us to recruit The 300 where you live.
Option Activism means you sign up to take action, then wait until enough other people (300!) make the same commitment. This means you won't have to do anything further until you're sure that doing something will succeed.
Will you be one of The 300 in your district to get the Read the Bills Act passed?
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It costs you nothing; no further action will be needed until all 300 people are recruited. And when the time for action does come, you won't be doing it alone. You will do it in the company of others.
I hope to see your name on the roster for The 300 in your district.
Dr. Jo Jorgensen
2020 Libertarian nominee for President
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