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The Jan. 20-21 weekend editorial in the BDN, “Congress must do its job” was right on the money. Here’s something that might motivate lawmakers to pass an actual budget. Let’s write a constitutional amendment stipulating that all members of a Congress that does not pass a budget by the appointed deadline will be ineligible for re-election when their terms expire.
Continuing resolutions and other gimmicks will not count. Congress must pass a budget by the deadline, currently the first day of the fiscal year (Oct. 1), either with the president’s signature or overriding a veto, or else. If a Congress doesn’t pass a budget in either of its two years, all its members will be disqualified from running again for two election cycles.
When you interview candidates for U.S. House and Senate seats this year, ask them if they support this proposed constitutional amendment. If any say no, ask them if that means they don’t really believe they are up to the job.
David Paul Henry
Lamoine
