I'm interested to see what kind of opinion you guys have on this.
Quote:
No Labels: Make Congress WorkNo Labels is a group of Republicans, Democrats and Independents who want our country to work again. Our dozen proposals to Make Congress Work! mostly don't require new laws or new spending, and they don't favor any party or particular cause. These are simple, straightforward proposals to break gridlock, promote constructive discussion and reduce polarization in Congress. They can mostly be adopted all at once when the next Congress convenes in January 2015.
12 Ways to Make Congress Work1. No Budget, No PayIf Congress can't pass a budget and all annual spending bills on time, members of Congress should not get paid.
2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential AppointmentsAll presidential nominations should be confirmed or rejected within 90 days of the nomination.
3. Fix the FilibusterRequire real (not virtual) filibusters and end filibusters on motions to proceed.
4. Empower the Sensible MajorityAllow a bipartisan majority of members to override a leader or committee chair’s refusal to bring a bill to the floor.
5. Make Members Come to WorkMake Congress work on coordinated schedules with three five-day work weeks a month in DC and one week in their home district.
6. Question Time for the PresidentProvide a monthly forum for members of Congress to ask the president questions to force leaders to debate one another and defend their ideas.
7. Fiscal Report to Congress: Hear it. Read it. Sign it.A nonpartisan leader should deliver an annual, televised fiscal update in-person to a joint session of Congress to ensure everyone is working off the same facts.
8. No Pledge but the Oath of OfficeMembers should make no pledge but the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.
9. Monthly Bipartisan GatheringsThe House and Senate should institute monthly, off-the-record and bipartisan gatherings to get members talking across party lines.
10. Bipartisan SeatingAt all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.
11. Bipartisan Leadership CommitteeCongressional party leaders should form a bipartisan congressional leadership committee to discuss legislative agendas and substantive solutions.
12. No Negative Campaigns Against IncumbentsIncumbents from one party should not conduct negative campaigns against sitting members of the opposing party.
The organization itself is supported by a group of 80+ Congressmen (with roughly equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats from what I can tell).
The website has more detailed explanations of all these points and the reasoning behind them, if you're curious.
I think it's a good idea to try to tackle some of the underlying causes of partisanship in Congress. One good example is the proposal for a 5 day work-week. Supposedly, before the mid-90s most Senators/Representatives moved their families to DC and lived there, at least while Congress was in session. This left a lot more room for social interaction with their colleagues, and friendships across party lines were a lot more common as a result. Nowadays the norm is for Senators to fly in on Monday night, go to meetings Tuesday-Thursday, and then fly back home on Friday. It's a lot easier to be a dick to your colleagues when you don't have to interact with them at social functions and are only around them for three days a week (and sitting on the opposite side of the room).
I know some of you think gridlock in Congress is good, and for a while I've been tempted by that idea. But I'm not so sure it's working well for us anymore as things get worse and worse. Ideally we'd rid ourselves of the two-party system, but given that that's unlikely to happen anytime soon, I'd rather they at least work together like adults.
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