A suggestion about lying by Congressional members

[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.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. I like your thinking on this

[arcane1]

2. Ah, if only...

Sadly, I expect the repubs would block any such rule from going into effect :(

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Alas, the only ones capable of making such a law are politicians.

Folks that are not usually known for such things as ethics or honesty.

“Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,
He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note.
He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple,
Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people.
(He's eatin' bagels
He's eatin' pizza
He's eatin' chitlins
He's eatin' bullshit!)”

Bob Dylan

[hootinholler]

4. There are laws on the books regarding testimony or reports to congress

You don't have to be sworn for them to apply, and personally I think it would form a foundation to impeach Roberts over Citizens United.

-Hoot

[jtown1123]

5. I just got a whopper in a form letter the other day. The Rep. I wrote to said Soc. Sec. was in

"crisis." What a moron.

[Cleita]

9. This was exactly one of the lies Bernie referred to.

He says they have all the facts in front of them. Social Security isn't in crisis and they know it. They are blatantly lying about it.

[walldude]

6. This is a great idea.. not that it will ever happen

but hell I'd go as far as making them swear in and charging them with perjury, and have a mandatory 30 day jail sentence.

We force people to tell the truth in a court of law but not in the political halls where a lie could destroy millions of lives? Never even thpught of this but it really is a great idea Cleita... :toast:

[RC]

7. People get sworn in to testify before Congress.

The are consequences for not telling the truth.

Why is Congress exempted for lying to the American people. After all they are supposed to be working for us, U.S.

[valerief]

8. Pols voting to make pols tell the truth? Oh, yeah, their puppetmasters would let them do that. NOT.

That's like asking pols to keep campaign promises!