United States HR 200: Border Wall Trust Fund Act

Bill Text

IV
119TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. 200
Expressing support for a comprehensive political reform plan.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 6, 2025
Mr. KHANNA submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House
Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for a comprehensive political reform plan.
Whereas public trust in the Government has been declining
for decades, with nearly 70 percent of Americans indi-
cating distrust in the Government each year since 2007;
Whereas demand for major Government reform has increased
to 59 percent of Americans in 2023;
Whereas the lack of congressional term limits allows for a
steep incumbency advantage—to the extent that each
year since 1982, over 75 percent of incumbents in the
House and the Senate have won their reelections—pre-
venting true representation and democracy for constitu-
ents;
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•HRES 200 IH
Whereas 5 out of 6 Americans favor a constitutional amend-
ment to impose term limits on Members of Congress;
Whereas congressional term limits would limit the entrench-
ment of special interests and the concentration of power
within the elected bodies, and allow for a more demo-
cratic, representative, and diverse Congress;
Whereas Members of Congress should be responsive to the in-
terests of their constituents, rather than the interests of
political action committees and wealthy political donors;
Whereas 77 percent of the public agrees that there should be
limits on the amount of money individuals and organiza-
tions can donate to political campaigns;
Whereas banning congressional candidates from accepting
campaign contributions from political action committees
would give American voters stronger voices in our democ-
racy;
Whereas Members of Congress should not be able to hold, un-
less in a blind trust, and trade stocks while retaining ac-
cess to confidential information or crafting policies, as
this leads to conflicts of interest, corruption, and even the
possibility of insider trading;
Whereas over 80 percent of Americans across political parties
support a ban on Members of Congress holding and trad-
ing stocks;
Whereas banning stock trading by requiring Members of Con-
gress to place any investments in blind trusts effectively
bans Members of Congress from trading individual
stocks, and would prevent corruption;
Whereas over half of the lawmakers who left office in 2019
leveraged their connections on Capitol Hill to land high-
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paying, influence-peddling roles in the lobbying industry,
creating countless possibilities for conflicts of interest;
Whereas almost 1 in 3 Americans believe Members of Con-
gress should never be allowed to lobby their former col-
leagues, with 65 percent supporting a 5-year-lobbying
ban at minimum;
Whereas a lifetime ban on lobbying for Members of Congress
will reduce the outsized influence that special interests
have on policymaking, and will increase transparency and
accountability for Americans;
Whereas recent investigations into the Supreme Court have
uncovered countless instances of Justices filing deficient
financial disclosures, receiving extravagant gifts, mis-
using staff, and otherwise prioritizing personal gains over
behavior fitting for members serving on the Nation’s
highest Court;
Whereas confidence in the Supreme Court reached a historic
low in 2022, dropping to just 25 percent of American
voters;
Whereas an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court
Justices would increase transparency, restore faith in the
Court, and prevent conflicts of interest;
Whereas though originally intended to ensure independence
and stability, lifetime appointments to the Supreme
Court enshrine political bias, inflexibility, and a lack of
accountability;
Whereas 68 percent of Americans believe Supreme Court
Justices should be subject to term limits;
Whereas 18-year term limits and regular appointments for
Supreme Court Justices will depoliticize, rebalance, and
restore judicial independence to the Court;
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Whereas there are existing legislative efforts to address each
of these issues;
Whereas H.R. 9134, introduced in the 117th Congress, would
prohibit Members of Congress and those running for
House or Senate seats from accepting contributions from
political action committees;
Whereas multiple bills would institute a lif