sjsVoice #6
Member since September 2026
Should the U.S. abolish the Electoral College and elect the president by national popular vote?
This can be done without throwing out the baby, Nebraska and Maine appoint electors by district.
If we had an effective electoral college I'd hope they'd look at putting a convicted felon in office on a close vote but probably not. A national direct election is sliding down the slope - the next question is why have state or local government? I'm a believer in pushing government down as close to the constituent so that it is responsive. The Federal executive as exercised today is far beyond the scope of where it should be.
Was a federal judge right to block President Trump's plan to cut FEMA's budget in half?
By law the executive must execute the budget law passed by congress. Sequestering funds has been ruled illegal.
Should a sitting U.S. president be able to be criminally charged while still in office?
Where there isn't the political will in congress to impeach there should be a mechanism for states weigh in on serious offenses. And I'm sorry but the Roberts Court got it wrong; "ordering SEAL team 6 to shoot a political rival" should be prosecuted.
Well, actually "Trump vs United States" says the President can't be prosecuted for official acts. So effectively the President is above the law in most cases. The interesting question is an action while in office is not " a faithful execution the law" then is it an official act? Not lawyer, much less a constitutional one so I don't know the answer.
Should only Congress — not the president — have the power to send U.S. troops into combat?
Personally I'd like to see a constitutional amendment which prohibits and branch for delegating its authority or responsibility to another branch. That being said there need to be accommodations made for low level conflict, an cases requiring rapid action (9/11 comes to mind and of course invasion/ nuclear attack), there congress could have a standing authorization.
What is lacking is a way for a significant minority (say 30%-40%) to bring judicial prosecution (an attorney general of the congress)
Should English be made the official language of the United States?
We should have an official language as a basis for recording our congressional records and laws. We need to continue to recognize the immense value of providing information and services in a number of languages, perhaps even requiring multiple languages at the federal evel.
I don't understand the comment. What does electoral college have to do with the representation compromise (which of course is moot)? Wasn't the electoral college seen as away to compromise on property ownership as a qualification for voting? States have allowed the electoral college to be perverted but the idea of circuit breaker is worthwhile. I like Nebraska and Maine's method of going by district. "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector."