Mock Senate
Students adopted and played the role of a particular senator. Acting as this senator, students drafted a bill, debated legislation on the Senate floor, engaged in the committee process, and attempted to pass the bill using processes that resemble American legislative procedure.
In order to do so, students utilized skills such as writing, persuasive argument, an understanding of the Constitution, our system of checks and balances, and in-depth knowledge of the problems our country is currently facing.
In order to do so, students utilized skills such as writing, persuasive argument, an understanding of the Constitution, our system of checks and balances, and in-depth knowledge of the problems our country is currently facing.
Bill
Committee: Finance Committee
Principal Authors: Mark Udall (Hannah Quick) and John Kerry (Nathan Stilwell)
Submission Date: 12/13/2012
Title of Bill:
An Act to Reduce Federal Spending
Be It Enacted By The Animas High School Model Congress
Preamble: Whereas 63% of federal gains had been appropriated prior to
Congressional voting in order to pay for entitlements including Medicare, and since the United States has reached a federal spending-to-GDP ratio of 24%, and since the United States spent $3.8 trillion in 2012, and since the fiscal cliff has become an imminent threat towards the economic welfare of the American people,
SECTION 1: Let $1.7 billion of discretionary spending cuts by made by implementing spending caps lower than the projected spending costs of the 2012 fiscal year.
SECTION 2: Let the spending cuts embody components provided in the Simpson-Bowles Plan--
Sub-SECTION A: 15% reduction in defense procurement
(A) Cut the navy by 10%
(B) Cut the marines by 5%
(C) Cut the air force by 8%
Sub-SECTION B: Eliminate earmarks--
(A) Designation of funds for a specific purpose
Sub-SECTION C: Reduce entitlements including farm subsidies and federal pensions (both civilian and military) to produce $1.7 trillion in savings.
(A) Remove the subsidy for corn used specifically as a sweetener.
(B) Cut federal pensions by 12%
SECTION 3: Let the “Pay as you Go” requirement, which was in effect during the Clinton era, be reinstated--
Sub-SECTION A: Any expenditure passed or allowed by Congress will draw funds from existing monetary pools, instead of borrowing from foreign resources.
SECTION 4: The Federal Free-Fall Prevention Act will save the United States roughly $1.8 trillion.
SECTION 5: This bill shall go into effect 38 days after passage.
Principal Authors: Mark Udall (Hannah Quick) and John Kerry (Nathan Stilwell)
Submission Date: 12/13/2012
Title of Bill:
An Act to Reduce Federal Spending
Be It Enacted By The Animas High School Model Congress
Preamble: Whereas 63% of federal gains had been appropriated prior to
Congressional voting in order to pay for entitlements including Medicare, and since the United States has reached a federal spending-to-GDP ratio of 24%, and since the United States spent $3.8 trillion in 2012, and since the fiscal cliff has become an imminent threat towards the economic welfare of the American people,
SECTION 1: Let $1.7 billion of discretionary spending cuts by made by implementing spending caps lower than the projected spending costs of the 2012 fiscal year.
SECTION 2: Let the spending cuts embody components provided in the Simpson-Bowles Plan--
Sub-SECTION A: 15% reduction in defense procurement
(A) Cut the navy by 10%
(B) Cut the marines by 5%
(C) Cut the air force by 8%
Sub-SECTION B: Eliminate earmarks--
(A) Designation of funds for a specific purpose
Sub-SECTION C: Reduce entitlements including farm subsidies and federal pensions (both civilian and military) to produce $1.7 trillion in savings.
(A) Remove the subsidy for corn used specifically as a sweetener.
(B) Cut federal pensions by 12%
SECTION 3: Let the “Pay as you Go” requirement, which was in effect during the Clinton era, be reinstated--
Sub-SECTION A: Any expenditure passed or allowed by Congress will draw funds from existing monetary pools, instead of borrowing from foreign resources.
SECTION 4: The Federal Free-Fall Prevention Act will save the United States roughly $1.8 trillion.
SECTION 5: This bill shall go into effect 38 days after passage.
Speech
As we look towards 2013, with the fiscal cliff coming into clear view, we must find a way to restore the economy and side-step this financial crisis. Although America’s economy is in need of a “fast fix,” the working class cannot afford for the brunt of the financial burden to be put on their shoulders overnight. The AFRO Act will ease the nation into a strict budgetary plan that will restore the economy.
By partially expiring the Bush Tax Cuts, the AFRO Act will help turn the fiscal cliff into a gradual slope. In the interest of the lower classes, the 10-15% tax brackets will remain at their current rates, and tax brackets at or above 25% will undergo a 1% tax increase every year until 2017. Instead of facing a 4% income tax increase all at once, the wealthier classes will face an increase of 1% each year, allowing individuals to adjust accordingly and numb the associated shock of tax increases. It’s time for those who have prospered under the American dream to help restore the economy and give the next generation a chance at success.
Although the AFRO Act proposes a solution that will help the nation meet the forthcoming challenges, modifications are in order to help meet the challenges with more ease. Section 3 of the AFRO Act would raise the age of eligibility for Medicare to 68 in the hopes of saving money. In place of Section 3, Obamacare’s Cost Control Board should be maintained, and produce an estimated $716 billion in savings. The AFRO Act will gain bipartisan support and be passed under the condition that Section 3 is amended in respect to replacing the increased eligibility age with the Cost Control Board.
The American people don’t want a sudden financial change that makes them stretch their wallets even further; rather, using the revised AFRO Act to help them ease into reform will create a nation of citizens willing to take the first step in the direction of a restored economy.
By partially expiring the Bush Tax Cuts, the AFRO Act will help turn the fiscal cliff into a gradual slope. In the interest of the lower classes, the 10-15% tax brackets will remain at their current rates, and tax brackets at or above 25% will undergo a 1% tax increase every year until 2017. Instead of facing a 4% income tax increase all at once, the wealthier classes will face an increase of 1% each year, allowing individuals to adjust accordingly and numb the associated shock of tax increases. It’s time for those who have prospered under the American dream to help restore the economy and give the next generation a chance at success.
Although the AFRO Act proposes a solution that will help the nation meet the forthcoming challenges, modifications are in order to help meet the challenges with more ease. Section 3 of the AFRO Act would raise the age of eligibility for Medicare to 68 in the hopes of saving money. In place of Section 3, Obamacare’s Cost Control Board should be maintained, and produce an estimated $716 billion in savings. The AFRO Act will gain bipartisan support and be passed under the condition that Section 3 is amended in respect to replacing the increased eligibility age with the Cost Control Board.
The American people don’t want a sudden financial change that makes them stretch their wallets even further; rather, using the revised AFRO Act to help them ease into reform will create a nation of citizens willing to take the first step in the direction of a restored economy.