The words “drain the swamp” and Donald Trump have been synonymous since the very beginning. Many people voted President Donald Trump into office because of his promise to remove some of the government corruption that has been taking place for years and drain the swamp.
What does draining the swamp really mean?
Although the phrase didn’t start with Trump, he has announced a variety of proposals that focus on ethics reforms. He wants to go back to the Bill of Rights in order to make America great again.
Part of his promises include:
- Rules on the revolving door for officials leaving the government
- Lobbying bans
- Reducing many of the conflicts of interest
- Close the loophole where lobbyists don’t have to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act
If the swamp were drained, it could prevent a significant amount of lobbying. Further, politicians would be free to focus on the office in which they were hired for as a way to improve one aspect or another for the American people, not for a large association or for their own financial gain.
Moving Out of DC
There are several members of Congress who believe in the importance of draining the swamp. Rep. Warren Davidson, (R-Ohio) is introducing a bill where many federal agencies will relocate to outside of the Washington DC Region. The benefit would be to put the various agencies closer to where they are needed. For example, the US Department of Agriculture would move to where there are more farming communities. They would be in touch with what’s going on and can, therefore, make better decisions.
When the government agencies are more in touch with what they are actually working towards, it will make it easier to see more congressional movements that will make an impact in the way the government works. There’s no need to have all government agencies in Washington DC because, by being in the region, it allows for too much conspiracy. Everyone feeds off of each other for political gain instead of focusing on the needs of the American people.
Jason Chaffetz is a former congressman who has spoken out about how to drain the swamp. His thought is to have a lot of the various offices move out of Washington, DC, too. Specifically, he mentions the Department of Homeland Security moving to Des Moines, Iowa. By doing so, the office would be more centrally located in the United States. Further, it would save the government money on rent and salaries.
Chaffetz has been vocal about what Congress should do, though they’re not doing it. This includes everything from subpoena compliance to balanced budget amendments. After fighting with Congress for nine years, he resigned and now serves as a Fox News contributor to be able to get information in front of Americans so that everyone can educate themselves and make their own decisions.
Be a Part of Draining the Swamp
There are a lot of resources that will identify what government officials are doing behind the scenes. Voting is an American right and one that can help with decisions that are made.
Anyone who sees something they don’t like can choose to be a voice. They can share information on their social media networks and speak out in public forums. The only way to start draining the swamp is to educate people on what’s going on in Washington DC and what the options are to put a stop to all of the corruption.
The Rule 72 Initiative is hard at work to repeal the law (Rule 72) that prohibits moving functions of the federal government away from Washington, D.C. If these ideas sound like a positive step towards truly draining the swamp, here are some ways to get involved:
