An Amendment

 Once again, we as citizens of the U.S. face the probability of a government shutdown due to the ineffectual nature of our Congress. Time and time again, we face the same situation. I know I, and most everyone I speak to about this type of subject are fed up.

As congressional members, they have certain responsibilities, among them, establishing the rule of law, providing protection to the country, providing for the citizenry (but not every need and whim imaginable), and actually funding the government in a fiscally responsible manner.

In my opinion, they only do two of the four things I just listed. It is time to bring accountability back to our elected officials in a different way than ever before. Too much of their time is devoted to arguing with the other party and hunting for money to get reelected. Instead, their focus should be on effectively working on issues that affect the citizenry and the government itself. 

Therefore, I am proposing the following amendment to the Constitution.

Congress shall pass a balanced bi-annual budget every two years to be effective at the beginning of the congressional fiscal year. If Congress fails to pass said budget on time, any member of Congress who has exceeded three full terms of service in their elected position shall be prohibited from seeking elected congressional office for a period of twelve years.

A balanced bi-annual budget must take effect within six years (three terms of service for a House of Representative member) from the adoption of this amendment.

Any member of Congress who is prohibited from seeking election under this amendment shall forfeit all governmental benefits including retirement/pension and health that are currently earned by those officials exiting Congress.

I believe this amendment (or one of similar nature) would bring not only fiscal responsibility back to those who govern this nation, but also a level of accountability to the people who elect them. It's time for Congress to starts serving the nation and work on real problems instead of investing half their time in fighting with each other and trying to get reelected.