Wardell Joins Freshman 50

Brian Miller, the founder of the Freshmen 50, contacted Missouri Seven Republican Michael Wardell over the weekend for a meeting over the phone. Miller, an Air Force veteran, personally asked congressional candidate and retired Marine Wardell to join the Freshmen 50. The two spoke on the phone on Saturday, and Wardell agreed and noted it was a great honor to be asked by the founder and would be a greater honor to make the list once the final 50 are announced.

The Freshmen 50 is an independent political action committee whose mission is to place 50 new fiscally and legislatively responsible citizens in the House of Representatives during 2010. They have the following platform:

Platform

1. Apply the Law Equally: All laws that apply to all citizens also apply to Congress.



2. Limit Terms in Office: Amend the Constitution to limit Congressmen and Senators to no more than 12 years, respectively.



3. Enforce Congressional Ethics

a. Mandatory, yearly tax and expense audits of every member to be made fully available to the general public each Oct 1, until the federal tax code is reformed (see item #5)

b. No member of Congress, or Congressional staff member, can ever be hired as a lobbyist, paid or otherwise, to Congress

c. Unleash the ethics committee: require only 50% of an ethics committee to approve an investigation



4. Read the Bill: Prior to final vote, the bill to be voted upon must be read out loud, by one or more of its sponsors, in its entirety, on the floor of the House. Should amendments be required, they must also be read in the same manner. A member may not vote on the bill unless he or she was present for the entire reading, including applicable amendments.



5. Reform the Federal Tax Code: Repeal the 16th Amendment and replace the current federal tax code with a clear, simple, and fair tax code which includes the following principles:

a. Tax only once

b. Tax at one rate

c. A Constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority for any new tax or tax hike



6. Balance the Budget: Amend the Constitution to require a balanced budget, unless sanctioned by a three-fifths majority in each house of Congress.