Why is the replacement of Congressional members who have served more than 12 years in the House or Senate -- such a seemingly drastic step -- necessary in America today?
Sadly, the American Congress, in both the House and Senate, has taken extraordinary steps during our modern history to ensure that her members are virtually insulated as incumbents -- almost impossible to defeat once in office. Congress has also created a system of seniority, where members are awarded powerful committee leadership positions on the basis of longevity, rather than ability. The result of these actions is that America is wounded politically, morally, and in recent years, financially. By any credible measure, including independent polling, voting trends, and the dramatically increased involvement of American citizens in the political process, the United States Congress is consistently identified as an utter institutional failure by the American people. It is a rare day in America today when a new tale of corruption, greed, incompetence, moral failure or ethical breaches from Congress members does not splash across the news. The House and Senate, comprised of 535 members, rarely rise above a 25% approval rating, and drop to as low as a 15% approval rate consistently. The opinion of the American public regarding the performance of Congress is abysmal.
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