Policy Proposal: Single-Issue Bills to Reduce Corruption and Promote Transparency
Congress should adopt a policy requiring all bills to be single-issue and signed individually. This would prevent the practice of attaching unrelated provisions, often referred to as “pork-barrel” spending or “riders,” which can promote corruption by allowing special interests to slip in measures that would not pass on their own merit. Multi-issue bills make it harder for lawmakers and the public to scrutinize individual components, leading to backroom deals and hidden agendas. By focusing on one issue per bill, legislators would be forced to debate and vote on each matter transparently, reducing the opportunity for corrupt bargains. It would also increase accountability, as representatives would no longer be able to hide behind complex, bundled legislation. This reform would promote a cleaner, more transparent legislative process, ensuring that each issue is given the attention it deserves and reducing the influence of special interests in American governance.