Trump Drops a Flurry of Nominees to Head FDA, OMB, CDC, and HUD
We Might Have a Problem With Trump's Labor Secretary Nominee
Trump Makes His Pick for Treasury Secretary
The Press Delivers a Fake News Trump Health Crisis, and the Bad Week...
Wisdom From the Founders: Madison and 'Gradual and Silent Encroachments'
CFPB Director Exemplifies the Worst of Washington Hypocrisy
Trump Victory: From Neocons to Americons
It’s Time to Make Healthcare Great Again
Deportation Is Necessary to Undo Harm Done at the Border
Do You Know Where the Migrant Children Are? Why States Can't Wait for...
Biden’s Union-Based Concerns Undercut U.S. Security and Jeopardize Steel Production
Joy Reid Spews Hate Toward Trump Supporters Once Again
America's National Debt Just Hit a New Record
The View Forced to Read Three Legal Notes Within Minutes of One Another...
Watch This ABC Reporter Goes on Massive Tangent Blaming Trump for Laken Riley's...
OPINION

We Really CAN Throw the Bums Out!

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

There is a way to fight back against a runaway Congress. Here's how it works.

Over the past year, Congress has seemed to be out of control. From health care to global warming to stimulus spending, corporate bailouts, deficits, federal debt and beyond, Congressional leaders have been dismissive of alternative views, insisting that they know best. They have responded to critics with name-calling, calling them everything from "yahoos," to "Nazis," and "tea baggers."

Advertisement

This anti-democratic attitude has veered towards elitist authoritarianism, closer to abuses we see in countries like Venezuela.

But there is a mechanism within our political system to deal with such a runaway Congress: the Right of Recall. Nine states already have laws on the books providing for Recall of members of Congress: Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. These 9 states suffer 12 incumbent Senators who are members of the runaway Congressional majority not up for reelection in 2010.

Going Rogue by Sarah Palin FREE

> For example, the New Jersey state constitution provides:

"The people reserve unto themselves the power to recall, after at least one year of service, any elected official in this State or representing this State in the United States Congress."

Tea party activists in that state, in fact, have already filed to circulate recall petitions regarding Sen. Robert Menendez. But the former New Jersey Secretary of State took the position that such Recall of members of Congress is not authorized under the U.S. Constitution. Grassroots activists in Louisiana have similarly already filed for Recall of Senator Mary Landrieu, and the circulation of Recall petitions there has been authorized. Exercising this existing statutory Right of Recall in these 9 states could potentially reverse majority control in the Senate this year. (For more information on Right to Recall go to RecallCongressNow.org).

Advertisement

We saw this recall process at work in California in 2003, where the electorate became disgusted with the then-recently-reelected Democratic Governor, Gray Davis. They voted overwhelmingly to remove him from office in a recall election, and replaced him with their current governor:

Arnold Schwarzenegger. A total of 18 states provide for the recall of elected state officials, including the above 9.

States without the Right of Recall for members of Congress can also change their laws to adopt it. In states with the right to initiative, this can be done by a vote of the people after circulating petitions to put the change on the ballot.

What the current Congress is showing is that our representatives can no longer be trusted to spend 2-6 years in office without ongoing democratic accountability. Today's Congressional majority is threatening to dump a load of bad legislation on the country despite the public's opposition, daring us to try to clean it up later. Only a Right of Recall can prevent such abuses in the future.

The Right of Recall also counters the growing problem of voter fraud. If voters feel that an election was subject to too many irregularities in how it was conducted or in how the votes were counted, they can circulate Recall petitions for a new election, rather than waiting for the next scheduled election. Recall would also counter a growing problem of campaign fraud, where a candidate claims to be a reliable conservative on some or all issues, then goes to Congress and votes with the liberal left. Such misrepresentation can be countered with a recall election.

Advertisement

For these reasons, every state should adopt the Right of Recall for its voters. The constitutionality of recall for members of Congress adopted under state law would ultimately have to be decided in the courts. Or the people could definitively decide the issue themselves through a constitutional amendment, or by electing a Congress that would adopt a federal statute authorizing each state to adopt such a Right of Recall.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos