Amend our Constitution

Either the People of the United States, acting through their state legislatures, or Congress itself have the power to amend the Constitution of the United States.  The process is complex, but not impossible.  There are two ways to propose an amendment:  two thirds of both houses must concur on the proposed amendment, and then three-fourths of the states must ratify the amendment, or, in the alternative, two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states may call for a Constitutional Convention, which will then propose amendments to the Constitution.  Three fourths of the states would then be required to enact those amendments into law.  For the purposes of this article, we will have to assume that these proposed amendments would have to be made by Constitutional Convention.  Its clear that Congress itself would never agree to these amendments to limit their own power and terms.

Amendment:
Section A. (To the provisions for the House of Representatives)
      1) Members of the House of Representatives shall be elected every 4 years, commencing with the first general election following the approval of this amendment and its enactment.
      2)  No person shall serve more than 1 term in the House of Representatives.
      3)  Congress may stagger the application of this provision to provide that one-half of the members of the House of Representatives shall be elected every two years.
      4)  This amendment shall be in force and in effect upon ratification by three-fourths of the conventions to be held in every state within two years of the passage of this amendment.

Section B.  (To the provisions for the Senate of the United States)
      1)  Members of the Senate of the United States shall be elected every 6 years, commencing with the first general election following the approval of this amendment and its enactment. 
      2)  No person shall serve more than 1 term in the Senate of the United States.
      3)  Congress may stagger the application of this provision to provide that one-third of the member of the Senate of the United States shall be elected every two years.
      4)  This amendment shall be in force and in effect upon ratification by three-fourths of the  conventions to be held in every state within 2 years of the passage of this amendment.

Section C. (To the Recall of Members of Congress)
       1)  A member of the House of Representatives or of the Senate may be recalled from his or her office upon the certification by the Secretary of State of that state that at least ten percent of the persons who voted in the past general election have signed a petition to that effect.  Upon such certification, a special election shall be held which shall ask the question "Shall _______ be retained as a member of the appropriate house?".  If the answer of a simple majority of the voters of the district or state shall be no, then the member of the House of Representatives or of the United States Senate shall be removed from office, and shall not be eligible to again serve as a member of the Congress of the United States.
       2)  The complete membership of Congress, both House and Senate, may be recalled from his or her office upon the certification by the Secretary of State of the United States that a petition has been presented signed by at least fifteen percent of the persons who voted in the last general election for congress.  Upon such certification, a special election shall be held throughout the United States asking "Shall the Congress of the United States be recalled from office?"  If the answer of a simple majority of the votes cast is in the affirmative, then all members of Congress, both House and Senate, shall be removed from office, and shall never again be eligible to serve in the United States Congress.

Section D.  Compensation and Pension.
       1) Congress shall not have the authority to grant to itself or its members any privileges not specifically granted in this Constitution, and specifically, shall not have the authority to grant to themselves a pension for service in the Congress of the United States.


These are somewhat drastic.  However, given that neither party is interested in the welfare of the people of the United States any more, isn't it time that we throw them all out, make sure that the people in Washington are people like you and me, and that we are truly a representative democracy rather than a nation governed by business interests?