Washington DC -- On Thursday, my colleague from Arizona, Matt Salmon, and I introduced what we hope will be the 28th amendment to the Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting the citizens of the United States that does not also apply to the senators and representatives.
The idea that members of Congress should be able to create special exemptions from themselves is not only patently unfair, it is also contrary to the spirit of constitutionalism articulated by the Founding Fathers and reflected in the Constitution. As James Madison wrote in The Federalist No. 57, "the House of Representatives… can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass of the society."
Please read our joint op-ed in the Washington Times (link below) making the case for the amendment and share your thoughts on Facebook (link below) if you agree that it’s time to bring accountability to Capitol Hill.
On the very day that Matt Salmon and I introduced this constitutional amendment that serves to prohibit Congress from exempting themselves from the laws that they pass, we received word that the Obama Administration has created an administrative rule that will relieve members of Congress and their staffs from the higher health care costs that the rest of America will bear under the 2010 health care law.
My amendment is based on the simple notion that Congress must live under the same laws as everybody else. If Congress imposes burdens on the American people as a whole, then members of Congress must also face those burdens. This is an inarguable proposition if you believe in constitutional government.
According to press reports, the administration is going to take executive action because congressional leaders realized they had no chance at actually passing a statue conferring a special subsidy on Members of Congress. It is bad enough for Congress to create exemptions for themselves, but what the administration has done is even worse–the administration is simply creating special rules for Congress by fiat. Will the American people be granted the same relief from skyrocketing health insurance costs that the members of our self-anointed ruling class have granted themselves? Read more by clicking here.
This week, the House of Representatives also passed several bills to stop government overreach in Washington. The purpose of these bills is to stop government abuse, cut needless spending, and ensure that Members of Congress work for the people, not the other way around. One of the bills I voted in favor of was the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act. We’ve seen what the IRS has done with vetting political groups. Do we really want the IRS being the main implementer of ObamaCare? This legislation removes the IRS from implementing ObamaCare and protects private health care information and individual freedom of taxpayers. My proposed 28th amendment and this legislative package are intended to guarantee that Members of Congress live within the parameters they establish and that government is transparent and accountable.
Here is the link to the above-referenced Washington Times op-ed piece: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/1/striking-a-blow-against-washingtons-ruling-class-m/.
Here is the link to the above-referenced DeSantis Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=559374880787243&set=a.464363606955038.108758.464253846966014&type=1.