Dan Barnett

Citizens Congress Dan Barnett

The author of Citizens Congress lays out a bold plan to change the structure of the U. S. Congress. Through a Constitutional Amendment, we would shift the balance of power from political parties, lobbyists, and moneyed interests to the ordinary citizen. The book details the problems that exist in the current Congress and the remedies to be taken. It suggests replacing the 435 elected members of the House of Representatives with 1000 Citizens chosen at random from the registered voters of each state. The amendment would alter the Senate by publicly funding its elections and allowing the House to send legislation directly to the President without Senate approval. This would allow the Senators to lead with only the power of their vision and the authority of their statesmanship. Lobbyists, like all citizens, could petition Congress but without campaign contributions or anything of monetary value. These measures are fully detailed in the book and would shift the balance of power from the undue influence of the wealthiest among us to the broad spectrum of humanity that is America. The Constitution's promise was embodied in its first three words. A Citizens Congress would fulfill the promise of government by "We the People".