I, [Name of Candidate], if elected to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, hereby commit to sponsor and vote in favor of legislation for all of the following:
- Raising the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour.
- Reforming tax regulations to stop corporations from shifting their profits and jobs overseas to avoid paying U.S. income taxes.
- Establishing a progressive estate tax on the top 0.3 percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million.
- Enacting a transaction tax on Wall Street speculative trading.
- Investing $1 trillion over five years towards rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, railways, airports, public transit systems, ports, dams, wastewater plants, and other infrastructure needs.
- Creating 1 million jobs for disadvantaged young Americans by investing $5.5 billion in a youth jobs program.
- Making tuition free at public colleges and universities throughout America.
- Expanding Social Security by lifting the cap on taxable income above $250,000.
- Increase benefits by at least 10% for all eligible recipients.
- Establishing healthcare as a right of citizenship by enacting a Medicare for all single-payer healthcare system.
- Requiring employers to provide at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave; two weeks of paid vacation; and 7 days of paid sick days.
- Enacting a universal childcare and prekindergarten program.
- Making it easier for workers to join unions by fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act.
- Breaking up huge financial institutions so that they are no longer too big to fail.
I will not resist, discourage, or in any manner put up an impediment to, and in fact will publicly and on the floor of the House of Representatives actively promote, any and all legislation in support of these measures. If no other legislator comes forth to propose such individual pieces of legislation, I will create and introduce by my own initiative, within 90 days of taking office, legislative acts for all of the foregoing, for consideration by Congress.
I further understand and fully agree to the following: If I violate the above-stated terms of this agreement, I will tender on the 91st day after taking the oath of office for my legislative seat, my full and unqualified resignation from this elected position. Moreover, within one year of my resignation, I will refund all contributions made by individual donors in support of my candidacy for this office.
This entire agreement constitutes a legally binding contract between myself and that class of citizens who will be my constituents, should I win the upcoming election. In the event that I fail to perform the above-required actions, redress may be sought by those same citizens in the form of a class-action suit in a civil court of law, and I will be liable for a minimum of $10,000,000 damages for breach of contract. If I fail to resign from office due to my failure to fulfill the other requirements of this contract or similar contracts, I may be liable for an additional class-action settlement for an amount not less than $50,000,000. No portion of these specified settlements may be paid from campaign donations, PACs or SuperPACs.
I sign this contract voluntarily and with full appreciation of my responsibility to the citizens of the [Name of Congressional District] should they choose me as their elected representative. I accept the terms of this document as legally binding, and with a thorough and lucid understanding of its requirements and consequences.
Signed: ________________
Date: _________________
Let me tell you why this will work.
First, we'll know who's serious about reform and who's not. Talk is cheap. If a candidate signs the contract, we'll know he or she is serious. Because . . .
Second, if they've signed on the dotted line, when they report for work in Washington DC, they will have to deliver on everything they agreed to in writing in the contract.
Not just because it's a contract. But because it would be political suicide if they didn't.
I won't elaborate. You're smart people. Think about it.
In closing, I find it inspiring and heartening that Mr. Sanders is doing what he's doing.
I hope that his supporters will have the energy and foresight to build on the awakening that seems to be occurring in this country. I hope they will dedicate themselves to putting in place elected representatives who truly represent, who are serious about turning this country around, advancing an America which serves all of us, not just a privileged few.
Yes, I put this forth as a challenge.
It's really quite simple . . .
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