To: All Elected Officials

Cc: The American People

 
Dear Elected Leaders,

Today as we all celebrate Labor Day, as a group of concerned citizens we urge every elected official to recommit to the founding principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Constitution. That means a government that is fair, accountable, and effective; a market that rewards hard work and responsibility; and a politics that serves the many, not the privileged few.

We present 24 common-sense reforms that command broad support across party lines, restore public trust, increase transparency, protect equal justice, and expand opportunity, and deliver shared prosperity, the rule of law, and responsible governance by the people, of the people, and for the people — never for the privileged few at the expense of the many.

These 24 proposals require Congress to pass new legislation, but none requires amendment to the Constitution.

 
I. Core Principles of Democratic Governance

1. Apply all constitutional and statutory laws to federal officeholders, including Presidents, while in office and afterward. Require Presidents, Vice Presidents, Cabinet Secretaries (“Top Officials”), Members of Congress (“Members”), and all federal judges and justices (“Judges”) according to the constitutional principle of No One Above the Law.
2. Require Top Officials and Members to pass a U.S. Constitution knowledge exam and explicitly pledge loyalty only to the Constitution — never to an individual or a party.
3. Require retirement before age 76 for Top Officials, Members, and Judges.
4. Cap service at 18 years for Representatives (nine terms) and Senators (three terms). Limit Judges to 24 years in a single judgeship and 36 years total on the federal bench.
5. From age 65 onward, mandate independent annual health assessments for the Top Officials, Members and Judges, with results disclosed to the public.

II. Election Integrity and Representation

1. Use independent, nonpartisan commissions for all post-census redistricting for all levels, ensuring voters choose their representatives — not the other way around.
2. Require states to provide free, accessible photo IDs to all residents, then implement uniform ID requirements, and consistent standards for ballot access, design and counting methods nationwide for all elections.
3. Enact campaign finance reforms to expose dark money, limit contribution levels, and restore transparency.

III. Government Accountability and Transparency

1. Require presidential and vice-presidential candidates to release at least 10 years of tax returns. 
2. Require that any removal or disciplinary action against career civil servants be conducted only with due process protections in place. 
3. Enforce the Emoluments Clause on Top Officials, Members and Judges, require annual tax return disclosure while in office; publish all visitor logs for Top Officials; prohibit any personal financial gain from public office by any means — e.g., stock trading, forcing taxpayers to pay for golfing and staying at one’s personal property.
4. Establish an independent, nonpartisan National Clemency Commission to review all applications for pardons and commutations using publicly established, transparent criteria. The Commission shall submit formal recommendations to the President and retain the authority to review any presidential overrides. All such reviews and assessments shall be published to the public. 
5. Establish an independent, nonpartisan National Security Commission to recommend nominees for key positions — based on publicly established criteria — including the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, Secretary and Deputy Secretary of State, Director of National Intelligence, CIA Director, NSA Director, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, etc. The Commission has the authority to review removals of these positions and publish the findings and assessment to the public.

VI. Justice and Law Enforcement

1. Reject rhetoric such as “Defund the Police,” maintain adequate funding while implement professional training, accountability measures, independent oversight, and firm consequences for abuses – ensuring equal justice for all Americans.
2. Establish an independent, nonpartisan National Law Enforcement Commission to recommend top DOJ and FBI appointees based on publicly established criteria, serving fixed six-year terms. The Commission has the authority to review removals of these positions and publish the findings and assessment to the public.
3. Establish an independent, nonpartisan National Judiciary Commission to recommend judicial nominees based on publicly established criteria; require the Senate to give all nominees an equal confirmation process or be deemed to have forfeited its duty. The Commission has the authority to review unethical conducts by any judge and justice and recommend appropriate disciplinary action including impeachment, publish the findings and assessment to the public.
4. Impose uniform, enforceable ethical standards on all Judges; require annual public disclosure of personal tax returns; and mandate that all judicial rulings include signed, written reasoning.
5. Any unsigned or unexplained ruling shall be deemed invalid, constituting a breach of judicial duty and a violation of public trust.

V. Economic, Educational, and Sporting Fairness

1. Base admissions on merit, allocate financial aids strictly by financial need, and ban legacy preferences.
2. Make government hiring and promotions based on merit and performance, with transparent procedures for addressing chronic underperformance.
3. Enforce protections against discrimination in all workplaces –- public and private -- based on age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or political affiliation.
4. Support marriage equality for all consenting adults while ensuring fairness in women’s competitive sports by restricting male-to-female transgender participation.

VI. Security and Immigration Reform

1. Advance the bipartisan immigration and border reform bill reintroduced by Senators Murphy and Lankford, which includes provisions to strengthen border security, combat trafficking, expand work visas, keep families together, and provide a lawful path to status for undocumented immigrants with clean records.
2. Require federal law enforcement officers to display their faces and badges, wear body cameras, and fully comply with due process and all court orders.

Conclusion

These reforms are nonpartisan. They are grounded in the founding ideals of the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution’s enduring promise of equal opportunity, equal justice, and the rule of law. They seek to uphold the principles of transparent and accountable governance and to reaffirm the belief that every American’s voice and every American’s vote must count.

The question before all elected leaders — and all Americans — is this: Will we act now to protect the foundations of our constitutional democratic republic for generations to come, or will we allow the history of the Weimar Republic to repeat itself in our time?

 

Call to Action

Fellow Americans: if you agree even half of these twenty proposed reforms, please consider signing this petition and urging your elected officials — at every level — to support them.