Republican Platform, Part 3: Government Reform

This is a continuation of the series of articles laying out details in the Republican and Democratic platforms. This article covers the section on government reform.

Previous article: Part 2: Foreign Policy in the Republican platform.
Next article: Part 4: Economy in the Republican platform.

Also see corresponding article covering the Democratic platform.

Budget/Spending

• Adopt Balanced Budget Amendment to require balanced federal budget except in war
• Immediate moratorium on the earmarking system
• One-year pause in nondefense, non-veterans discretionary spending to force cost-benefit review of all current programs
• Presidential line-item veto
• Before either the House or Senate considers a spending bill, every item should be presented on the Internet
• Require supermajority in both the House and Senate to guard against tax hikes
• New authorizations offset by reducing another program
• Ethics rules governing special interests should apply across the board; no exemptions such as now for favored institutions
• Government Shutdown Protection Act to ensure essential federal functions when advocates of pork threaten to shut down the government
• Reasonably plan for the long-term costs of pension and health care programs; convert such programs to defined contribution programs

State powers/public services

• Apply model of Republican welfare reform to other programs
• Establish National Sunset Commission to review federal programs and recommend which to terminate; Congress schedules one yea or nay vote on the entire sunset list with no amendments

Program oversight

• Every congressional committee should reserve one week per month for oversight of grant and loan programs of the federal government
• Mandate that all committee witnesses detail the amount of federal funding they receive and how much they would receive from proposed legislation
• Call for a national audit of all federally-owned properties

Improving government

• Each agency must pass a financial audit and set targets for improving efficiency with fewer resources
• Managers should have incentives for more effective leadership, including "protection against the current guilty-until-proven-innocent grievance procedures which disgruntled employees use against them to thwart reform"
• Provide Internet transparency in all federal contracting

Disaster response/Infrastructure

• "...ensure that FEMAs Emergency Operations Centers run as well as any Fortune 500 Company"
• Business-like, cost-effective approach for infrastructure spending
• Reform environmental reviews and permitting process to speed infrastructure projects
• Stewardship of the nations Highway Trust Fund to restore purchasing power

Entitlements

• Put Social Security on a sound fiscal basis by giving workers "control over, and a fair return on, their contributions"
• Allow personal investment accounts distinct from and supplemental to Social Security
• Medicaid partnership with states

Judicial Appointments

• Insist on appointment of constitutionalist judges
• "Nominees must have a record of fidelity to the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law"
• Insist that the Senate should never inquire into a nominee's religious convictions

Elections

• Work on electronic ballot system to enable military personnel to cast their ballots securely and conveniently
• Support photo-id required for voting
• Dept. of Justice called on to prevent ballot tampering
• Oppose restrictions to individual committing resources to political causes or candidates

Back To Top