Nick Smith on Government Reform Former Republican Representative (MI-7)

Voted YES on restricting frivolous lawsuits.

1. require courts to impose sanctions on attorneys, law firms, or parties who file frivolous lawsuits (currently, sanctions are discretionary);
2. disallow the withdrawal or correction of pleadings to avoid sanctions;
3. require courts to award parties prevailing on motions reasonable expenses and attorney's fees, if warranted;
4. authorize courts to impose sanctions that include reimbursement of a party's reasonable litigation costs in connection with frivolous lawsuits; and
5. make the discovery phase of litigation subject to sanctions.

Voted YES on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions.

Voted YES on banning soft money donations to national political parties.

Voted YES on banning soft money and issue ads.

Limit federal power, per the 10th Amendment.

As adopted by the General Membership of the Republican Liberty Caucus at its Biannual Meeting held December 8, 2000.
• WHEREAS libertarian Republicans believe in limited government, individual freedom and personal responsibility;
• WHEREAS we believe that government has no money nor power not derived from the consent of the people;
• WHEREAS we believe that people have the right to keep the fruits of their labor; and
• WHEREAS we believe in upholding the US Constitution as the supreme law of the land;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Liberty Caucus endorses the following [among its] principles:
1. The power of the federal government should be limited, as per the tenth amendment to the US Constitution.
2. The US Department of Commerce should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the US Constitution.
3. The National Endowment for the Arts should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the US Constitution.
4. The National Endowment for the Humanities should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the US Constitution.
5. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development should be abolished, per the tenth amendment of the US Constitution.
6. Subsidies to agricultural and other businesses should be eliminated.
7. Corporate taxes should be eliminated simultaneously and proportionally with the elimination of subsidies to businesses.
8. Recommendations by the Grace Commission and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) should be reviewed and implemented, where possible, beginning immediately.
9. Privatization of government assets, management and services should be implemented for cost-effectiveness wherever applicable.

Unlimited campaign contributions; with full disclosure.

The Republican Liberty Caucus endorses the following [among its] principles:
1. Election campaigns should not be subsidized by tax payers.
2. No individual should be compelled to support a political candidate he or she does not support. Government should not empower trade unions to collect funds from their members for use as political contributions without their members’ expressed consent.
3. All limits on campaign contributions should be eliminated.
4. There should be full and timely public disclosure of all the sources and amounts of all campaign contributions upon their receipt.

Limit punitive damages; term limits on Congress.

[As part of the Contract with America, within 100 days we pledge to bring to the House Floor the following bills]:

The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act:
“Loser pays” laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages, and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation.

The Citizen Legislature Act:A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators.

Government is too big, too intrusive, too easy with money.

This year’s election offers the chance, after four decades of one-party control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public’s money. It can be the beginning of a Congress that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family.

Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act “with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.” To restore accountability to Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To make us all proud again of the way free people govern themselves.

On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:
1. Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
2. Select a major independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud, and abuse;
3. Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
4. Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
5. Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
6. Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
7. Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase
8. Guarantee an honest accounting of our federal budget by implementing zero baseline budgeting.