About Non-Partisan Congress

WHY A NON-PARTISAN CONGRESS?

THE SHORT ANSWER:

It’s The Law. Title 5 US Code § 7324:

A Federal Employee “may not engage in political activity while the employee is on duty”

Members of Congress agree on these two facts:

They are all Federal employers. They are not above the law.

Sen JONI ERNST of IOWA: “Our laws are not a buffet. You can’t pick and choose which ones to uphold”
The “Rules and Manual” of the U.S. House of Representatives: “the laws shall bind equally on all, and … those who make them shall not exempt themselves”

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THE SLIGHTLY LONGER ANSWER, IN THE WORDS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:

Sen ANGUS KING of MAINE: “I have never been in an outfit that has more good people and gets less done”
Sen JOHN CORNYN of TEXAS: “our lack of productivity…verges…on malpractice”
Sen CHUCK SCHUMER of NEW YORK: “Polarization and partisanship are a plague on America politics.”
Sen CHUCK GRASSLEY of IOWA (quoting Madison): “the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties.”
Sen BOB KERREY of NEBRASKA: “The Democratic and Republican caucuses are the problem." A “non-partisan Congress may be needed.”

If we voters are honest, the Congressional dysfunction these Senators are describing won’t end unless we do something different. The most effective approach is also the simplest: Demand our elected leaders stop exempting themselves from Federal Law.

Tell your Members of Congress to obey the law. Under Title 5 U.S. Code § 7324 partisan activity in a Federal workplace is illegal.

Federal Law prohibits any political party or Federal employee from conducting partisan activity within a Federal workplace or during working hours. 99.97% of Federal employees obey Title 5 U.S. Code § 7324. They leave partisanship behind when they go to work.

(the 0.03% who ignore the law are Members of Congress, which enjoys public approval of 13% +/-)

As a suggestion, your Member of Congress might organize a new Congressional Caucus on Creating A Nonpartisan Congress.

Rep Summer LEE of PA: “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Sen Jeff MERKLEY of OR: “we have to reform…to save our Republic.”
Rep Marcy KAPTUR of OH: “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got.”
Rep Delia RAMIREZ of IL: “we have to get past parties.”
Sen Markwayne MULLIN of OK: “If we don’t start putting this country first and partisanship last, we are going to ruin the country our fathers founded.”

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TWO HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS PREDICTING A NON-PARTISAN CONGRESS

PRECEDENT #1

A flawed but overwhelmingly popular law, the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act, required Congress Members to obey laws from which Congress had previously made themselves exempt. The Act passed 390-0 in the House, and by Unanimous Consent in the Senate. 490 House and Senate Members cast “ YES “ votes that clearly signified “We are not above the law”. There was not even a single vote in opposition.

But, as written by Congress, the CAA didn’t apply to Title 5 U.S. Code § 7324(the Hatch Act) nor to some other laws from which Congress retained existing exemptions. Congress did not finish the job they started.

Fast forward to 2024. Virtually no newscast ends without a reference to the words, “No One Is Above The Law”. We at Non-Partisan Congress believe that – with the addition of voters’ voices, like yours - we will get a nonpartisan Congress, by demanding Congress Members stop placing themselves “above the law” – Title 5 USC § 7324. Pressure from voters on Members of Congress to obey the laws worked in 1995. It will work again, today.

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PRECEDENT #2

HERE is an 85-year proof of principle for a nonpartisan Congress, from POLITICO: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/nebraska-unicameral-system-102932/

(NOT the unicameral part)

As the POLITICO article suggests, there is a time-tested, proven NONPARTISAN model for reforming the US CONGRESS. A model that has an 85-year history of success. It’s not an experiment. It’s proven. Popular. And primed to transform D.C.

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Senator Tom Daschle addressed a question the reader may have: “How can Congress exempt itself from the law, in violation of Congress’s own Handbook?”

Senator Tom Daschle: "Thomas Paine, the famed orator of the American Revolution, once offered an explanation for why corrupt systems last so long. He said: A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.”

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THE FAILURE OF PARTISANSHIP

Party Control has produced public approval of Congress averaging about 13%.

13% is “FAILING"

We can do better.

To get started, ask your Members of Congress to organize a new Congressional Caucus on Creating A Nonpartisan Congress.

And share with us your suggestions and advice.

Thank you for your support.

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U.S. Code Title 5 § 7324 prohibits partisan political activity by Federal Employees during the workday. Members of Congress are Federal Employees. The Rules of the House of Representatives states "those who make [the laws] shall not exempt themselves".