About Us

Background

BlowOutCongress.com is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, national grassroots political organization which advocates and promotes the replacement of Congressional members, regardless of party, who have served more than 12 years in the House or Senate. The organization is classified as a 527 group under the United States Tax Code, and is based in Dallas, Texas.

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. 

Ultimate Power: Congressional Incumbency

Based on their personal histories and knowledge of European monarchies, America's Founding Fathers understood that the creation of an ensconced ruling class created a grave danger to the new Nation because a ruling class exists almost solely to perpetuate its own existence.  To combat that affliction, the Founder's intent for American government was for Congress to be an ever changing, dynamic body that embraced a constant stream of new ideas, concepts and beliefs from among her ever changing, and growing citizenry.  As importantly, and dramatically detailed in their public and private writings, the Founders believed that Americans should serve their fellow countrymen in Congress for a limited number of years in Washington D.C. before returning to their communities and families, so as to avoid the creation of a permanent ruling class.  But by 2010, Congressional incumbents of both parties, who enjoy extraordinary advantages against challengers by virtue of party leadership support, and lobbyist fueled fundraising mechanisms, are serving a greater and greater number of years in Congress and have become the de facto ruling class the Founders most feared. 

In some cases, Congress members' service dates back to President Eisenhower’s administration in the early 1950’s.  Members of Congress serving today celebrated the safe landing of American astronauts on the Moon...while in their seats in Congress.  In 2010, House members have served an average of 12 years; among current Senate members the number is 13 years.  But the true measure of the Founder’s fear of unlimited incumbency in Congress is the number of members who have served for more than the average number of years.  An incredible 42% of current Congressional members have served more than 20 years…and that's where the immense power and abuse in Congress is centered.  These statistics are a clear violation of the intent of the Founding Fathers for individual Congressional service.  It is fair to say that “a limited number of years” is a debatable issue, but common sense dictates that a period of 12 years, which represents six two-year House terms, and two six-year Senate terms, is a reasonable and appropriate number of years of service.  Beyond that number of years in service, the danger of the incumbency increases exponentially.

Ultimate Leverage: The Congressional Seniority System

On the surface, one might argue that it is a prudent action for America to place the most experienced members of Congress in the most important leadership positions.  Within reason and with good common sense that would be true.  But unfortunately, the practice of "seniority rules", created by Congress itself, and not by the American people, has been horribly abused.  The problem of “seniority rules” in filling Congressional committee leadership positions is a direct result of the power of the incumbency: because members can serve an unlimited number of terms, they consolidate power in extraordinarily powerful committees based on their years of service, and not on their competence or leadership ability.  The leaders of these committees in turn place political allies in key positions, virtually excluding bi-partisan, rational debate. The result of this symbiotic relationship between the power of unlimited incumbency, and committee leadership based on seniority, has created an utterly broken, dysfunctional seniority system in Congress that no longer serves the best interests of the American people.  The power of the committee leadership positions cannot be underestimated, as the entire multi-trillion dollar economy of the United States flows through these committees.  The social expenditures, discretionary expenditures, tax code and myriad of spending issues are almost exclusively controlled by an entrenched, enriched Congress, and we must shatter the dynamic of self-interest in this process for the American people. 

Action and Accomplishments To Date:

 In this problem-filled, difficult and uncertain Congress, how can average American citizens change the civil, financial and moral course of their Nation?  How can her people -- families, immigrants, business owners, public servants, and elders, speak in one unified voice to better the lives of their families, neighbors and fellow citizens?  The answers, and means, are more simple and available than we may believe today.  Average American citizens can hold their elected politicians, especially the members of their National Congress, to the same standards of integrity, fairness, decency and compassion with which they conduct their own families, relationships and businesses.  Empowered by the wisdom, foresight and structure given to them by their Founding Fathers, American citizens can speak powerfully, and often, with one voice in one of the most sacred American institutions...the voter’s booth.  Thankfully, in our Nation’s seminal documents, the Founding Fathers had the foresight to give future generations the tools to remake Congress regularly, and BlowOutCongress.com is leading the effort to rebuild a better America for all of her citizens...regardless of political party.    

BlowOutCongress.com, created by Dallas radio talk show host Jeff Bolton in the summer of 2008, has grown from a simple idea forged in anger "on-air" at the failure of the American Congress, into a vibrant mechanism of change for American voters.  The BlowOutCongress leadership team, comprised of political experts, former military members, and sophisticated social media participants, provides data, leadership, ideas and media attention about the need for a changed Congress to the American voter. 

By virtue of its successful multi-media efforts over the last two years, BlowOutCongress.com (BOC.com) is uniquely positioned in the American electorate to independently educate voters about the perils of long-term incumbents in Congress, and how to replace them in the National election cycles.  Since the Summer of 2008, when the all-volunteer effort was created, the organization points to the following achievements as measures of initial success:

• The BlowOutCongress.com effort has been prominently featured on influential national broadcast and print media outlets, and on notable internet news websites.
• Due in part to the efforts of BOC.com to energize American voters to change their Congress, 57 current members of Congress will not be seeking re-election in 2010 due to defeat or retirement.
• More than 2,500 online viewers joined the BOC.com Online Town Hall Meeting on November 10th, 2009.   The online event was the featured centerpiece of U-Stream.com's worldwide audience.
• In August 2009, in a concerted effort with other sympathetic organizations across the Nation, BOC.com led the effort to contact every member of Congress on the same day, resulting in Congressional email servers and telephone systems being shut down due to volume overload. All of these accomplishments have been made possible through the efforts of men and women who have at least one full time job, families and significant responsibilities to their communities.   

Conclusion:

From a simple idea spread on talk radio, BlowOutCongress.com is growing into a full-fledged effort to remake the American Congress.  The purity of the effort, built by volunteers with no political party affiliation, is the reason the organization has grown to date, and the reason it is poised to positively reach the American electorate in the coming elections with a new, powerful message for all Americans.  On behalf of the families that have hand-built a now growing organization that will make America better, we hope you will join our efforts.