Fix Presidential Accountability: Limit Vacations, Divest Interests, Respect Courts in Constitution

 

🛡️ Proposed Constitutional Amendment: The Executive Accountability & Ethics Amendment

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1. Why This Amendment Matters

• Presidents have frequently taken costly weekend vacations at personal properties, costing taxpayers $10s of millions annually citizensforethics.org+10oversightdemocrats.house.gov+10npr.org+10

• Abuse of executive removal powers and misuse of executive orders have eroded democratic checks and balances justsecurity.org+4theguardian.com+4youtube.com+4

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2. Draft Amendment Text

Section 1: Limit on Presidential Vacation & Travel

• President may take no more than two weeks’ vacation annually; weekend getaways only at Camp David, except during campaign travel in election years.

• Any travel to a President or spouse’s privately owned property is considered vacation; personal funds must cover all associated costs, including Secret Service expenses. No taxpayer funding allowed.

Section 2: Eliminate Conflicts of Interest

• President and Vice President must divest from all private businesses and foreign-registered companies before assuming office.

• Using presidency to benefit personal or family businesses is an impeachable offense.

• Secret Service accommodations at family-owned locations are at the owner’s expense.

Section 3: Prohibit Gifts from Foreign Entities

• No gifts or compensation from non-ally nations; any gift from foreign entity must be forwarded to the U.S. Treasury or Congress.

Section 4: Restrict Removal Powers

• President may remove only: (a) department heads, (b) White House staff, and (c) ambassadors with Senate approval.

• Cannot remove federal civil servants, IGs, or members of independent agencies without “good cause” established by statute.

Section 5: Limitations on Agency Shutdowns

• President cannot defund, dissolve, or shutter any executive agencies — only Congress holds the “power of the purse.”

• All grants and funding revocations must be legislated by Congress; unilateral presidential withholding is constitutionally invalid.

Section 6: Judicial Supremacy

• President must comply with all final rulings of the Supreme Court. Refusal to do so constitutes grounds for immediate arrest, removal, disqualification from future office, loss of benefits, and revocation of security clearance.

Section 7: Safeguards Against Executive Overreach

• President cannot deploy executive orders that contradict federal statutes without explicit Congressional approval via expedited special resolution (REINS Act model) natlawreview.comcato.org.

• Presidential travel must be transparently reported to Congress and made publicly available within 30 days.

Section 8: Emergency Oversight

• All national emergencies declared under the National Emergencies Act (NEA) must expire after 90 days unless reaffirmed by a joint resolution of Congress investopedia.comen.wikipedia.org.

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3. Benefits & Governance Goals

• Restores public trust by protecting taxpayer dollars and ending private gain from public office

• Strengthens checks and balances, reaffirming Congress’s supremacy over agency oversight

• Ensures accountability via mandatory compliance with court rulings and transparency

• Prevents cronies and foreign influence through strict divestiture and gift limitations

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4. Context & Support

• Government watchdogs (e.g. GAO, Oversight Democrats) have shown that Presidential hotel/resort travel cost taxpayers millions due to Secret Service and DOD expenses theguardian.com+1natlawreview.com+1politico.com+5protectdemocracy.org+5theguardian.com+5gao.gov+1investopedia.com+1

• Courts continue to curb unfettered removal power, but codifying limits is critical for long-term reform politico.com+2natlawreview.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2

• Experts cite rising dangers from executive overreach and impulse to defy courts, echoing threats to democratic norms politico.com

New Amendment to End Lax Attendance & Proxy Abuse in Congress

 Proposed Constitutional Amendment: Ensuring Congressional Accountability & Diligence

1. Why This Amendment is Needed

Recent incidents—including members falling asleep during floor sessions and exploiting proxy vote provisions for absenteeism—expose a troubling lack of accountability in Congress sec.gov+15cbsaustin.com+15riponsociety.org+15. Lawmakers are earning pay while not fulfilling duties, undermining public trust and the democratic process.

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2. Amendment – “Congressional Duty & Attendance Amendment”

Section 1 – Mandatory Physical Presence
Congressmembers must be physically present during all in-session votes and debates. Proxy voting is permitted only for:
• Childbirth or adoption (parent or spouse)
• Immediate family death
• Illness (supported by medical certification)

Section 2 – Proxy & Remote Voting
During excused absences, members may use remote video voting. No delegation allowed; votes must be cast directly.

Section 3 – Attendance Enforcement & Penalties

• Any unexcused absence, or being caught inactive (e.g., sleeping), results in:
    • No pay or benefits for each missed session
    • Formal warning after 5 unexcused absences
    • Expulsion eligibility after 10 unexcused absences during a session

Section 4 – Cleaner Budget Procedures

• No non-budget bills or executive nominations may be considered unless the annual budget is passed by October 1.

• Vacations/Sessions postponed until budget approval.

Section 5 – Enforcement & Reporting
The House and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms publicly report attendance weekly. The GAO audits compliance annually. Missing quotas result in lost compensation and expulsion referrals.

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3. Additional Provisions

• Define “asleep” as lack of active participation during votes. Documented with audio or video before a warning.

• Uphold the Quorum Clause and prohibit misuse of proxies everycrsreport.comreuters.comjournals.law.harvard.edu.

• Align with the 27th Amendment to suspend pay changes mid-term fox9.com.

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✅ Benefits for Democracy & Public Trust

Issue	Benefit of Amendment
Accountability	Ensures lawmakers fulfill duties
Work Ethics	Discourages absenteeism & dereliction
Public Confidence	Reinforces credibility of Congress
Legislative Focus	Prioritizes national budget over politics

This amendment transcends partisan divides—supporters of fiscal responsibility, voter accountability, and democratic integrity can unite behind it.

By rooting attendance in the Constitution, we raise the bar for legislative responsibility. This amendment restores Congress’s duty to the American people—no exemptions.

Fixing Education & Healthcare Now: A Debt-Free Plan for Human Rights, Insurance, & Nutrition

 

1. Why Our Education System Is Failing

• Outdated standardized tests like STAAR and national exams encourage teaching to the test, stifle creativity, and harm equity rethinkingschools.org+1fairtest.org+1.

• Rote learning and grade inflation leave students unprepared for a rapidly changing world .

• Over-testing impacts teacher morale and student well-being, especially in under-resourced communities soeonline.american.edu+5primaryfocus.tv+5nypost.com+5.

✅ What We Should Mandate Instead

1. Core essentials only: Proficiency in reading, writing, math, science, civics, financial literacy, and digital skills.

2. Project-based assessments: Replace high-stakes standardized tests with portfolio reviews, peer assessments, and real-world projects .

3. Life-readiness skills: Include critical thinking, mental health, nutrition, civic engagement, and public speaking.

4. Support teachers and students: Smaller class sizes, wrap-around support services, competitive pay, and community schools washingtonpost.com.

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2. Why Health Insurance Isn’t Working

• Americans pay too much (~18% of GDP) for poor outcomes compared to other developed countries en.wikipedia.org+1thetimes.co.uk+1.

• Still get sick despite insurance: High deductibles lead to delayed care and debt—43% of employer-insured adults feel unaffordable commonwealthfund.org+1americanbar.org+1.

• Doctors report denied or delayed care, even fatal cases—health insurance is too complex and profit-driven theguardian.com+1americanbar.org+1.

✅ How to Make Health Insurance Good Again

1. Universal healthcare: Insurance becomes a public utility—healthcare is a human right medium.com+15americanbar.org+15pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+15.

2. Tighten regulations: End predatory practices, clarity claims processes, and cap out-of-pocket costs.

3. Include evidence-based treatments: GLP-1s for obesity/surgical care are cost-effective and save lives washingtonpost.com+2washingtonpost.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2.

4. Focus on prevention & nutrition: Ban ultra-processed foods, subsidize fresh produce, and promote whole foods .

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3. Both Education & Healthcare Should Be Human Rights

• Education empowers democracy; healthcare ensures well-being. Both belong under universal human rights fairtest.org+7americanbar.org+7houstonchronicle.com+7.

• Access can't be tied to income or zip code. Rights-based frameworks ensure universality, equity, and dignity.

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4. Debt-Free Reforms: No New Taxes or Spending

• Cut waste, not services: Redirect current spending—e.g., reduce standardized test expenditures, shift testing costs to uncommon optional assessments.

• Preventive care saves money: Prioritizing early health education and obesity treatment reduces downstream costs.

• Local autonomy with federal guidance: Schools and states innovate within frameworks to raise quality without increasing administrative bureaucracy.

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5. Call to Action: A Bipartisan Campaign

• Reform education to prepare students for a 21st-century economy—teach skills, not test performance.

• Rewrite healthcare so every American gets the care they need when they need it—no disability, disease, or age left behind.

• These are universal values. Cross party lines: rights + responsibility are not political—they're human.

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🌟 Conclusion

Education should ignite curiosity and equip students for life—not just test-taking. Healthcare should aid healing, not profit from sickness. Redesigning both systems as human rights, while eliminating pointless tests and processed foods, helps us achieve better outcomes without adding to the national debt. It’s time to come together and demand change—for kids, for families, for all Americans.

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📚 References

• Standardized tests widen disparities and narrow learning britannica.com+2expressnews.com+2nypost.com+2britannica.com+4rethinkingschools.org+4fairtest.org+4

• High-stakes testing pressures students and staff

• U.S. healthcare highest-cost, subpar outcomes

• Insurance doesn’t guarantee care; causes debt and denial commonwealthfund.org

• Right to health is recognized internationally and historically britannica.com+8americanbar.org+8journalofethics.ama-assn.org+8

• Ultra-processed foods linked to obesity, diabetes, chronic disease, and death washingtonpost.com+2thetimes.co.uk+2en.wikipedia.org+2