Reed Re-Affirms Commitment To Basic Reforms
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tom Reed this morning re-affirmed his commitment to six basic Congressional reforms being touted by a
non-partisan group dedicated to fiscal and legislative responsibility. “These are basic principles that
members of the Freshman 50 are pledged to fight for,” Reed noted. “We’re going to change Washington
to make national government more transparent and more responsive.”
“If the voters choose me, I am but one man,” Reed continued. “This will be a group of incoming members
which will stand together across party lines to begin basic reform in government.”
The Freshman 50 platform of reforms includes:
- Applying the Law Equally: Ensuring that all laws which apply to citizens also apply to Members of Congress.
- Term Limits: Limiting terms in Congress to no more than 12 years each in the House and Senate.
- Enforcing Congressional Ethics: Conducting yearly tax and expense audits, prohibiting former Congressmen and their staff from lobbying Congress and allowing the ethics committee to do its job.
- Reading Bills Publicly: Reading an entire bill on the floor of the House prior to the final vote.
- Tax Reform: Repealing the current tax code in favor of one that taxes only once, at one rate, and requires a 2/3-majority vote for any new tax.
- Balancing the Budget: Amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget.
Reed noted that some of the reforms will meet with resistance and will require a phased approach to get to
the final goal. “But we have to begin the conversation,” Reed said. “Doing nothing is not an option.”
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