Reforms will save taxpayer dollars and increase transparency

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Today Marine Corps combat veteran Rob Miller held a press conference to detail his platform for restoring faith in government. The platform, designed to increase transparency and save taxpayer money, will be one of Miller’s top priorities as a Member of Congress.

“All through the 2nd District, one of the main themes I’ve encountered is that people have lost faith in Congress,” Miller said. “South Carolinians are tightening their belts and doing more with less because we’re in a recession. Washington should do the same. Taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent.”

Miller’s Restoring Faith in Government platform centers around seven areas of reform.

Slash congressional pay

• Institute an immediate 10 percent pay cut for Members of Congress.
• Miller pledges to refuse any new congressional pay increase until the budget deficit has been erased. Miller will donate any new congressional pay increases back to the United States Treasury until the federal deficit has been erased.

Slash discretionary spending

• A 3 percent to 5 percent across-the-board cut in discretionary spending. The cuts would apply to all discretionary spending with the exceptions of the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Reform the earmark process to enhance transparency and accountability

• Legislation banning earmarks for for-profit companies to ensure Members of Congress do not steer taxpayer money to campaign contributors. In March, the House Appropriations Committee wisely amended the rules to stop for-profit earmarks. This rule change must become law.
• Legislation requiring the creation of a single, searchable database, maintained by the House and the Senate, listing all earmarks included in funding bills. Currently, the information is cryptically buried in committee reports and the public must rely on good government groups to aggregate the information.
• Legislation requiring every Member of Congress to disclose all of their earmark requests in a uniform, searchable database on his or her website. Currently, the only information made public is a list of earmarks a Member successfully secures in a funding bill. Under this proposal, all requests – those granted and those rejected by the Appropriations Committee – will become public record.

Require lobbyists to disclose contact they have with Members of Congress

• Require lobbyists to submit quarterly reports detailing every contact they have had with a Member of Congress, staffer, or Committee.
• Require lobbyists to disclose which client a lobbying contact was conducted on behalf of.
• Require lobbyists to disclose what issues they discussed with Members of Congress or staff.

Extend the “cooling off” period before former Members of Congress can lobby

• Extend the so-called “cooling off” period, during which former Members of Congress may not lobby Congress, to five years after a Member leaves office. This will help prevent former Members from trading on their former positions and relationships with current Members to benefit special interests.

Reform congressional perks

• Ban Members of Congress from billing taxpayers to lease vehicles. Too many Members of Congress, including Joe Wilson, have stuck taxpayers with the bill for excessive car leases. That practice must end.
• Ban Members of Congress from billing taxpayers for cell phones.
• Restrict Members of Congress from using franked mail privileges after their primary elections.

Reform congressional per diems

• Track all per diem payments distributed to Members of Congress and staff.
• Ban Members of Congress from using taxpayer money on gifts.
• Ban Members of Congress from keeping left-over per diem funds.
• Require a searchable, online database detailing all per diem payments received by Members of Congress and how they spent the money.

####