A suggestion about lying by Congressional members [View All]

[Cleita]

made on Thom Hartmann today on his "Brunch With Bernie" (Senator Bernie Sanders) segment. A caller asked the Senator why members of Congress in both Houses couldn't be forced to tell the truth. Bernie said it would be hard to judge whether they told the truth or not. Well I have a suggestion about this. How about making them bound under oath to speak facts and truth to the best of their ability when speaking in the official capacity of their office like on the floor, or in the media, basically "on the record" so to speak or be subject to fines and other censures if caught in a deliberate lie.

Now we can make sure that no fines or censures are imposed unless there is an investigation and a hearing where the Senator or Congressperson can explain to their accusers how they arrived at the statement that they made. I really don't want to make our elected officials afraid to speak out but I also want them to think twice before they deliberately start spreading lies and half truths to get party political talking points into the record and into the media parrot machine. Now let's make the accuser be us, we the people. When any of us hear a blatant lie or lack of truth, we should be able to demand from the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader that they investigate if that rule was broken of lying under oath. I believe there could be a threshold of calls, emails or snail mail that should be reached before it can't be ignored and that action taken by those Congressional leaders.

Something needs to be done. I don't know if this is a solution but would like to know what your opinions are on this matter.