4 Rules for the Next Speaker

On Tuesday, Americans reminded Washington: “Government leaders are servants of the people; the people are not servants of their government,” writes John Boehner in the Wall Street Journal. After complaining about the culture of secrecy and "arrogance" in the current government, the next Speaker of the House lays out some clear rules for the next Speaker of the House:

• End earmarks. “The speaker of the House shouldn't use the power of the office to raid the federal Treasury for pork-barrel projects.”

• Post bills online before they come to a vote, so that Americans will know what’s at stake. Each bill should also note “where in the Constitution Congress is given the power to pass it.”
• Dump “comprehensive” bills—their density makes it “easy to hide spending projects and job-killing policies.”
• Open up the bill-writing process. “Smaller, more focused legislation” must “be written by legislators in committee in plain public view.”

(More John Boehner stories.)