Summary of “Write the Laws”

You lend your car to a friend, and the friend loans it to someone else. Are you okay with that?

Congress does something similar . . .

The people gave Congress the power to write our laws. Congress has loaned that power to un-elected bureaucrats. Each year bureaucrats issue tens-of-thousands of new dictates. None of these rules are written by Congress, read by Congress, debated by Congress, or voted on by Congress. Are you okay with that?

We grant judges and juries the power to decide guilt and render punishments. But Congress has loaned bureaucrats this power too. Groups of unelected bureaucrats serve the combined role of legislators, police, judges, juries, and punishers. Are you okay with that?

Congress claims it needs experts to write the rules. We agree that Congress lacks expertise, but this is no excuse for delegating its responsibilities. Congress can hire whatever expertise it lacks, but it still has an obligation to write the rules, read the rules, debate the rules, and vote the rules into law.

Congress fails to write all the rules we must obey for the same reason it fails to read any of the laws it passes. If Congress actually had to do its job there's no way it could make government grow so fast. Congress couldn't spend so much money, reward so many friends, punish so many enemies, and control so much of your life.

That's why DownsizeDC.org has written the “Write the Laws Act,” as a companion bill to its “Read the Bills Act.” WTLA requires that . . .

• Congress write specific legislation, with no details left to the bureaucrats.
• All allegations of wrong-doing be tried in Judicial Branch courts, not by bureaucrats.
• All punishments be rendered by judges, not bureaucrats.
• Executive Branch agencies be limited to investigation and prosecution.
• Citizens be held blameless against any government actions that violate these rules.
• Previous legislation granting legislative and judicial power to bureaucrats be identified so it can be repealed.