It was no laughing matter during a recent confirmation hearing when Senator Mark Wayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, called out fellow Senators for voting while intoxicated.  Even more shocking was his admission to knowing and witnessing Senators voting while intoxicated. This acceptable behavior is unacceptable.

As a concerned citizen, I believe our elected officials should have the utmost clarity and sobriety when executing their legislative duties. The ability to vote on laws, write laws, and change laws is a significant privilege that should not be affected by the influence of alcohol. Drinking during legislative duties jeopardizes the representation that every voter deserves and creates a severe failure in our democracy.

Raising awareness on this critical issue, we propose that there should be stringent regulations preventing senators and congressional representatives from drinking at work or voting when intoxicated. For any violations, penalties must be severe enough to act as a strong deterrent. A 30-day unpaid suspension for the first offense, an oversight hearing, and impeachment for the second offense seem fitting punishments for such grave misconduct.

The substance-abuse rate amongst professionals is estimated to be around 6.6% (source: National Institute on Drug Abuse). It is unknown how this translates specifically to our lawmakers, but even one is too many when the future of our country is in their hands.

We cannot afford to let our democratic process, the backbone of our society, be tainted by the irresponsible consumption of alcohol. We urge every .org user to support this cause and demand immediate action. Please sign this petition and join us in our fight for a sober, responsible democracy.