The current long term commitment to send billions to Israel takes us further away from any semblance of playing an honest broker, and it rewards an intransigent Israeli regime that has devoted itself to settlement expansion and essentially has been a non-partner in peace-seeking. More, Israel habitually thumbs its nose at us and takes us for fools...boasting that we will ultimately agree or acquiesce to anything they do.

I am petitioning the Office of Personnel Management to redefine members of the House and Senate as contract workers or temporary employees ineligible for federal benefits. As such, members of Congress will no longer receive the healthcare, pensions, and other benefits of being a federal employee. On average they receive in excess of 20,000$ in tax free benefits per year in addition to their 174,000$ salaries. In addition, I am petitioning Speaker of the House and The Senate Majority Leader to introduce a bill reducing the 6 figure salaries of each member of Congress in the interests of reducing the federal budget deficit. The bill should clearly state that each member of Congress shall receive an annual salary set at the median income of their state or district. This salary will be pro-rated on a daily basis. Members traveling outside of their home districts or outside the city limits of Washington DC will forego salary for those days in which they are absent.

Scaling social security benefits to degree of need as relates to gross income (ie - you only have a claim for social security income as an inverse function of annual income).

I would like to see some new laws protecting citizens from police officers and police brutality. They have to much power to physically abuse potential suspects, for example Kelly Thomas, Rodney King, kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach, kicking a woman in the head that was sitting on the curb handcuffed and not a threat to the officer. I would like to see some laws passed such as: not allowed to beat someone in the head with a flashlight or a fist or kicking them, not allowed to kick pregnant women in the stomach, not allow officers to pile on top of people causing the suspects ribs to break and puncture a lung, crushing their windpipe so that they suffocate. If they suspect a person is mentally ill, there should be an advocate on duty at all times called to the scene to assess the suspect and protect suspect and escort the suspect with the police to a hospital if needed during a mental crisis. If the police cannot assess if a person is mentally ill, perhaps a course in mentall illness should be included in their training along with a course on compassion. The police should not be bullying suspects or threating them, or provoking them. They are suppose to serve and protect, not abuse and kill! Their job is to apprehend, handcuff, and put in police car for transport without physically abusing a person. When they use a stun gun, they cannot expect a person to get up and walk immediately after that and then continue to drag the person across the pavement, they cannot stand up because they have just been stunned! They should not be allowed to bully, antagonize, or threaten. Limits need to be set NOW!

Leadership is about statesmanship and listening to all sides and making decisions BASED ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THE COUNTRY. Right now, we need to create jobs and put Americans to work. Only Congress can do this. Congress passes laws and controls the purse strings. All the president does is suggest laws and send things to Congress for legislation. Many Republicans in this Congress have signed onto a petition prior to taking office not to pass any bills that require spending and rather than caring about our nation, they are bringing it to the brink of financial disaster. They are sworn to a party ideal rather than to give any credence to anything from this president. This kind of action lacks statesmanship, good judgement and fair mindedness. Some Republican members of Congress are using their offices for nothing but personal and political gain; not to govern fairly. This is shameful and they should be impeached.

The United States of America's original motto was "E Pluribus Unum" and it is time to return to what our founding fathers desired. The Cold War, what sparked "In God We Trust", is over and we are a country out of many, one. It is time to end partisan politics and become a government for the people, by the people. E Pluribus Unum is on the seal of the President, Vice President, Congress, House of Representatives, Senate, and the Supreme Court but isn't our country's motto. This movement is designed to recognize all people of The United States of America; regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or political party.

I think our all our congress/house reps governors and state legislature should all have the same health insurance as the people.

There has been a lot of talk lately about innovation in health care delivery. Providence just won a grant to do this, but this move is at odds with that. People who no longer can be mobile will then increase the costs on the state and city through increased need of in home or institutional services. Many studies have proven the beneficial qualities of water based recovery programs and physical therapists attest to its cost effective methods as well, you can have more patients in a pool than on land, a 6 to 1 ratio vs 1 on 1. With no therapy pools anywhere in Portland that has the services, accessibility and affordability, Providence is not only guaranteeing that thousands of people will lose access to this pool, but also being negligent in duties as a innovative, compassionate health care provider. The fate of the pool will be decided by the end of the summer, please help us save this indispensable community asset.

Congress cannot vote on their own pay raises, it must be voted on every 4 years

Fifty countries, including the EU nations and even China, already label genetically engineered foods. Recent surveys show that 90% of people favor labeling, with 81 percent "strongly [in] favor" and bipartisan support: 93 percent of Democrats, 90 percent of independents, and 89 percent of Republicans agree that GMOs should be labeled.

I am half-way through a Master's Degree program and just got news that I am no longer eligible for my student plus loan due to recent changes in the government. Because my home went into foreclosure this year I can not get a student loan. If I pull out of school because I can't pay right now I can not file bankruptcy to cover the previous loans because the Banks are protected and students are not. Either way I can't go further and I can't stop without major consequences due to these laws.

I am half-way through a Master's Degree program and just got new that I am no longer eligible for my student plus loan due to recent changes in the government. Because my home went into foreclosure this year I can not get a student loan. If I pull out of school because I can't pay right now I can not file bankruptcy to cover the previous loans because the Banks are protected and students are not. Either way I can't go further and I can't stop without major consequences due to these laws.