Rick Perry’s Plan for a Part Time Congress [POLL]

Governor Rick Perry is stirring congressional leaders up this week with his new plan called, 'Uproot and Overhaul Washington'. The plan has goes after all 3 branches of government. In the plan, Perry would want to establish a Citizen Congress. Congress would become a part time job and their pay would be cut in half. Perry would also seek to put term limits on ALL Federal Judges. Yes, even the Supreme Court would have 18 year terms. The plan is bold and is starting a new conversation. You can view Perry's entire plan on his campaign website.

So far, not everyone is warming up to Perry's ideas of part time status for those in Congress. That includes Texas Senator John Cornyn. According to the Houston Chronicle:

Cornyn neither condemned nor endorsed the proposal by a fellow Texan that would cut the salary of House members and senators in half, cut their staff budgets in half and cut their time in Washington in half.

“You know the old saying in Texas?” Cornyn wondered. “We have a legislature that meets for 140 days every two years, but many Texans believe it ought to be two days ever 140 years.”

Texans believe in limited government “and see Washington as the antithesis to limited government” by expanding government responsibilities, consuming more taxpayer dollars and “intruding even more on our individual liberties and our rights,” Cornyn said, echoing some of Perry’s anti-Washington themes.

But the idea of becoming a part-time senator after eight years in office didn’t sit well with Cornyn.

“I believe representing 25 million people (in Texas) is a pretty big job,” Cornyn told reporters in a weekly telephone call.

And Congress has wider responsibilities than part-time state legislatures such as the legislative branch in Texas.

“The world doesn’t stop when Congress is out of session,” Cornyn said. “We need to have a Congress that fits our needs as the world’s premier power.”

What do you think about the plan? Let us know in today's LFN Poll of the Day.