Rand Paul Introduces Constitutional Amendment To Rein In Government Officials

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a bill today that would make sure that congress is unable to write bills that would provide themselves from exemptions on legislation they write to cover the American people.

The bill is a full constitutional amendment, and would preclude lawmakers from passing laws that don’t apply equally to all citizens, public or private. It’s a direct response to Obamacare, which allowed senior government officials to opt out of registering for the program.

Paul’s bill reads in part:

“Congress shall make no law applicable to a citizen of the United States that is not equally applicable to Congress,” the executive branch including the president and vice president as well as the Supreme Court.

The full text of the bill is below.

S.J.RES.25

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to applying laws equally to the citizens of the United States and the Federal Government. (Introduced in Senate – IS)

SJ 25 IS

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. J. RES. 25

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to applying laws equally to the citizens of the United States and the Federal Government.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 11, 2013

Mr. PAUL introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

 


JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to applying laws equally to the citizens of the United States and the Federal Government.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:

‘Article–

‘Section 1. Congress shall make no law applicable to a citizen of the United States that is not equally applicable to Congress.

‘Section 2. Congress shall make no law applicable to a citizen of the United States that is not equally applicable to the executive branch of Government, including the President, Vice President, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and all other officers of the United States, including those provided for under this Constitution and by law, and inferior officers to the President established by law.

‘Section 3. Congress shall make no law applicable to a citizen of the United States that is not equally applicable to judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, including the Chief Justice, and judges of such inferior courts as Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.

‘Section 4. Nothing in this article shall preempt any specific provision of this Constitution.’

 

14 comments

Darrin Woodard October 23, 2013 at 4:33 pm

My Amendement:

Section A:
All laws will expire four years from the date of their enactment. All laws will be voted on individually every four years to redetermine their eligibility. All regulations enforceable as law will be considered law for this purpose. Any law not voted on after four years will be void.

Section B:
Congress shall pass no bill or law containing more words than the Constitution of the United States.

Section C:
Congress shall pass no law unless a yearly budget is passed.

Tory Pettigrew October 24, 2013 at 6:01 pm

If it doesnt pass, keep a list of reps that voted it down. Make sure they are removed from office at the next election, or begin recall election procedures against them. We have the power in this government, just have to invoke it!

tree worm October 24, 2013 at 7:06 pm

how about one to do away with lobbyist, for good make a law where its against the law to lobby congress,because this will continue and the ppl will still not be heard

Michael Blake October 24, 2013 at 7:27 pm

to me lobbying is just another term for bribe!!

Ruth E October 25, 2013 at 5:15 pm

way to go Rand Paul, here’s hoping it passes with flying colors, no one should be above any laws set forth by the congress, senate, supreme court, local jurisdictions, etc.

Justin Green October 23, 2013 at 3:24 pm

There is hope, but it’s spark will not be able to grow quick enough before they destroy it.

Michael Blake October 24, 2013 at 7:24 pm

yes there is we vote them out!!!!

Kevin P Smith October 24, 2013 at 6:48 pm

No one should be above the law

backell October 24, 2013 at 10:16 pm

No one is arguing that someone should be. This entire debate is bogus.

backell October 24, 2013 at 10:20 pm

SMH.

The reason it “matters” is that this is SOP for the Republican Party and Obamacare.

1. Ask that something being included.
2. Complain about the thing once it’s included.
3. Misrepresent the thing you asked for to the American Public, trying to confuse the issue as much as possible.
3. Complain that the Democrats aren’t “compromising” because they included the thing that you asked for and are now complaining about and misrepresenting.
4. Go about peacocking about how your’e going to pass an amendment that will stop the thing you are complaining about that isn’t happening, that you asked to happen, from ever happening again.
5. Get adored and glorified as a hero for solving the problem you created but never really existed.

Every detail of this entire “debate” is bogus, and every part of it was manufactured by the Republican party.

THAT is why it matters.

backell October 24, 2013 at 10:22 pm

You miss the point. THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN AMENDMENT. The whole “basis” for this amendment is a bogus controversy that doesn’t exist.

If the Republicans spent HALF as much time trying to solve real problems as they do trying to invent fake ones, or solve the fake ones they already created, we’d get twice as much done.

Tim Johnson October 28, 2013 at 10:50 pm

I see this as Sen. Paul building a strong case for his veracious presidential bid. These bills he proposes and the filibusters he asserts give him the air of a man who will hold his government accountable, keeping the people’s interest as top priority. The buffoons he will face in the next election will not have the kind of qualifications that this man has when it comes to having honest attempts at reining in government overreaching (thetrue conservative stance). He is playing this very smart and it is easy to see that his eye is on the prize.

Dominicus October 30, 2013 at 7:53 pm

Tim, I think you are right, except that Paul is not just giving himself an air of government accountability for a presidential run – he is truly working in the role to keep government accountable now from the Legislative Branch. He may have future ambition, and I hope he does, but that does not negate his current efforts as genuine.

٩๏̯͡๏۶ November 2, 2013 at 6:42 pm

And replace them with more of the same. =/

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