To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Prohibit Pledges to End Congressional Gridlock
Tell your Senators and Representatives to prohibit any pledge that would restrict or control, prior to floor debate, how a member of Congress will vote on any issue—effective immediately.
Why is this important?
Why is Congress in gridlock? Because lobbyist Grover Norquist holds promises signed by 279 Republican Senators and Representatives that they will not ever vote for anything that would raise taxes. [CBS 60 Minutes, 11/20/2011]
That’s why a Congressional majority votes as a solid block against many different kinds of bills—debt and deficit reduction, equal pay for women, clean air…anything, if they think it might raise taxes. When compromise is essential, they can’t do it because of Norquist’s pledge.
Why did a majority of our Congress sign that pledge in the first place? Because Norquist uses his organization’s funding power not only to help elect candidates who sign it. He also blocks the re-election of any incumbent who breaks or doesn’t sign his pledge. How? Buy funding an opponent in the primary.
That exactly how independent-minded Republican Richard Luger lost his Senate seat, even though he was admired on both sides of the aisle. Wrong as it is, more than half of our national representatives—279 out of 536—have nevertheless sold their votes to get that campaign money or avoid that threat.
We never elected Norquist to anything. He has no right to control our Congress. We can break Norquist’s lock on how our Congress functions, because we voters have far more power than he does. Sign this petition to outlaw all such pledges.
That’s why a Congressional majority votes as a solid block against many different kinds of bills—debt and deficit reduction, equal pay for women, clean air…anything, if they think it might raise taxes. When compromise is essential, they can’t do it because of Norquist’s pledge.
Why did a majority of our Congress sign that pledge in the first place? Because Norquist uses his organization’s funding power not only to help elect candidates who sign it. He also blocks the re-election of any incumbent who breaks or doesn’t sign his pledge. How? Buy funding an opponent in the primary.
That exactly how independent-minded Republican Richard Luger lost his Senate seat, even though he was admired on both sides of the aisle. Wrong as it is, more than half of our national representatives—279 out of 536—have nevertheless sold their votes to get that campaign money or avoid that threat.
We never elected Norquist to anything. He has no right to control our Congress. We can break Norquist’s lock on how our Congress functions, because we voters have far more power than he does. Sign this petition to outlaw all such pledges.