THE POSITION OF BOB RIES
On Adopting “Robert’s Rules of Order”
To Eliminate “Earmarks
& the need for a Line Item Veto
There is a Constitutional way to eliminate wasteful spending, earmarks and the need for a Line Item Veto. We simply need to adopt the same rules of Parliamentary Procedure used by State Governments, Municipal Governments and almost every other Organization in this Nation (except our Federal Government): ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER.
Robert’s Rules would require that every Bill have only one main idea. It could be amended no more than two times, and each Amendment must pertain to the main idea in the original Motion. Most Bills would require very few pages, would not require assistants to pour over thousands of pages, and every bill could be easily read and understood by our elected representatives, BEFORE THEY VOTE ON THE BILL.
There would be no superfluous projects contained in the Bill, since every main idea would need it’s own Bill to be passed by both Houses of Congress. Think about it. If someone wanted to spend taxpayer money on a bridge to nowhere, to study the sex life of albino tadpoles, to build a special building in some Representative’s District, or any other wasteful “pet” project, it must pass both Houses on it’s own merits.
I am confident that few Politicians would have the nerve to introduce some of these wasteful projects (included as almost hidden riders in the past) on their own separate Bills.
I propose The House and Representatives, and the Senate; adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for their Rules of Proceedings. Since Article 1, Section 5, Clause 2 of the Constitution states: Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, this would not require a Constitutional Amendment, only a common sense agreement.
