The 21st Century Constitution: Seven Bold Reforms for a More Perfect Union

Prepared by: Rodney LaBruce, Candidate for U.S. Congress, TX-30

Unified Advocacy and Leadership Coalition (UALC)

Why this matters in TX-30

I’m running to end poverty and build a district that becomes a model for the country. But poverty isn’t just a “program” problem. It’s a power problem.

When money captures politics, when voting is restricted, when representation is distorted, and when courts operate without enforceable ethics, the underclass pays the price first. These seven reforms are about restoring democracy so government can finally work for everyday people again.

This paper outlines seven major reforms to realign U.S. governance with democratic values and rebuild public trust.

I. Campaign Finance Reform

Ending the era of dark money and policy-for-sale politics

Objective
Advance a constitutional amendment that overturns Citizens United v. FECand restores the ability of Congress and states to set reasonable limits on political spending and require transparency.

The problem
After Citizens United (2010), outside spending exploded, “dark money” became routine, and elections tilted toward those with the largest checkbooks instead of the best ideas.

This is not abstract. When elected officials become dependent on big donors, the policies that would actually reduce poverty get watered down, delayed, or killed.

Key problems

• Unlimited corporate and super PAC spending overwhelms grassroots candidates.
• Dark money hides who is buying influence.
• Policy outcomes increasingly reflect donor priorities over community needs.

Proposed solutions

1. Constitutional amendment clarifying that money is not speech and corporations do not have identical constitutional rights as human beings for political spending.
2. Restore federal and state authority to set contribution and spending limits and require real transparency.
3. Public financing options that reward small-dollar support and expand participation.

Why now
Campaign finance law is still being weakened. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case that could further loosen limits on coordinated spending between parties and candidates. If those limits fall, donors will have even more pathways to flood campaigns.

What I can do now in Congress

• Co-sponsor and push disclosure laws, anti-dark-money enforcement, and real-time transparency.
• Support constitutional amendment efforts like H.J.Res. 119 introduced September 10, 2025.
• Use oversight to pressure enforcement and expose loopholes that allow billionaires and corporations to hide behind shell groups.

Implementation

• Work with reform coalitions like Move to Amend and RepresentUs.
• Support state resolutions calling for an amendment process.
• Build public pressure by showing how money in politics blocks anti-poverty policy.

II. Congressional Term Limits

Renewal, accountability, and protecting government from capture

Objective
Support term limits as part of an anti-corruption package that reduces entrenchment without increasing lobbyist power.

The problem
Voters are tired of a system that feels closed, career-driven, and insulated from everyday life. Long tenure can concentrate power, freeze out challengers, and deepen cynicism.

But I’m also not naive. Term limits alone can backfire if they create a revolving door that strengthens lobbyists.

Key problems

• Entrenched power can discourage competition and new ideas.
• Seniority systems can become barriers to accountability.
• Public trust erodes when leadership feels permanent.

The honest concern
Critics argue term limits can increase lobbyist influence because members rotate out while lobbyists and donors stay. That critique is real, and any serious term-limits plan has to address it.

Proposed solutions

1. A constitutional amendment capping House service at 12 years and Senate service at 12 years.
2. A revolving-door crackdown paired with term limits, including tougher bans on lobbying by former members and senior staff.
3. Election competition reforms like ranked-choice voting and open or nonpartisan primaries where states choose them.

What I can do now in Congress

• Push revolving-door restrictions and stronger disclosure rules immediately.
• Support state and federal efforts on ranked-choice voting and fairer ballot access.
• Advance term limits only as part of a full anti-capture package, not as a standalone slogan.

Implementation

• Build bipartisan coalitions focused on corruption and accountability.
• Frame this as opening the doors of government, not punishing experience.
• Pair it with strong guardrails that weaken lobbying power.

III. Voting Rights Amendment

Enshrining the right to vote and protecting access nationwide

Objective
Establish an explicit constitutional right to vote and authorize federal protection against voter suppression.

The problem
The Constitution protects voting in pieces, but it does not clearly state: every eligible American has a right to vote. That gap leaves room for suppression tactics, roll purges, gerrymandering, and uneven access.

Key problems

• No explicit constitutional right to vote.
• State-led restrictions and uneven rules.
• Court decisions weakening parts of the Voting Rights Act framework.

Proposed solutions

1. Constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote in federal and state elections.
2. Automatic and same-day registration as a protected right.
3. Restored federal oversight where states have a proven history of suppression.

What I can do now in Congress

• Push passage of modern voting protections, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
• Support election infrastructure funding and anti-gerrymandering reforms.
• Use oversight to expose suppression and protect voters.

Implementation

• Partner with civil rights groups, community organizations, and local leaders.
• Treat voting access as the foundation of every other reform.

IV. Equal Rights Amendment

Guaranteeing gender equality in the Constitution

Objective
Ratify or reaffirm the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to guarantee equal rights under the law regardless of sex.

The problem
Gender equality should not be a patchwork of state laws, court interpretations, and political cycles.

Key problems

• No explicit constitutional guarantee of sex equality.
• Inconsistent protections across states.
• Ongoing legal battles over discrimination and autonomy.

Proposed solutions

1. Ratify and recognize the ERA as valid and enforceable.
2. If necessary, restart ratification in a clear, modern process to remove ambiguity.
3. Build legal and public normalization so courts treat equality as settled law.

What I can do now in Congress

• Support legislation strengthening equal pay, workplace protections, and anti-discrimination enforcement.
• Use hearings and oversight to spotlight disparities in healthcare and employment outcomes.

Implementation

• Partner with women’s advocacy groups, labor, and legal experts.
• Ground the message in fairness, freedom, and economic security.

V. Judicial Ethics and Recusal Standards

Restoring integrity and public trust in the Supreme Court

Objective
Create enforceable ethics rules and independent recusal review for Supreme Court justices.

The problem
The Court cannot ask the public to trust it while operating under rules that would be unacceptable in any other branch of government.

Key problems

• No enforceable, binding ethics code that is independently monitored.
• Justices effectively police themselves on conflicts.
• Trust is collapsing when people believe outcomes are influenced by undisclosed relationships or finances.

Proposed solutions

1. Binding ethics code with enforceable standards.
2. Independent recusal review for conflicts of interest, with written explanations.
3. Full transparency through consistent disclosures and clear reporting requirements.

What I can do now in Congress

• Support and strengthen Supreme Court ethics legislation.
• Demand disclosure compliance and public reporting.
• Use oversight to push enforcement mechanisms with real consequences.

Implementation

• Build coalitions around rule-of-law and integrity.
• Keep this framed as accountability, not ideology.

VI. Ending the Electoral College

One person, one vote for the presidency

Objective
Replace the Electoral College with a national popular vote, ending a system that can override the will of the people and that traces back to compromises protecting slavery-era power.

Historical context
The Electoral College was shaped by compromises that inflated power for slaveholding states, including the Three-Fifths compromise, which increased representation and therefore Electoral College influence.

Why reform is necessary

• Candidates can win while losing the popular vote.
• Smaller states receive disproportionate influence.
• Campaigns focus on a handful of swing states, ignoring most Americans.
• The system carries a legacy rooted in protecting slavery-era political power.

Proposed solutions

1. Constitutional amendment replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote.
2. National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) as a practical pathway that can function within the current Constitution once it reaches 270 electoral votes.

Update
The compact’s membership and electoral-vote totals have changed over time, so this paper should reference the current total using an official tracker rather than locking in an old number.

What I can do now in Congress

• Support a constitutional amendment strategy.
• Support and encourage state-level action on NPVIC.
• Use public education to build bipartisan support by emphasizing that every voter should matter, no matter the state.

Implementation

• Federal advocacy, state partnerships, public education, and coalition work across ideological lines.

VII. Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices

Regular turnover, less politicized confirmations, and a healthier judiciary

Objective
Adopt 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices with staggered appointments.

The problem
Life tenure made more sense in the 1700s. Today, it creates decades-long power stakes, encourages presidents to appoint younger and younger nominees, and turns confirmations into political warfare.

Why term limits are necessary

1. Accountability without politicization through predictable turnover.
2. Lower-stakes confirmations because no single seat controls a generation.
3. Fresh perspectives without sacrificing judicial independence.
4. Restored public confidence through a regular appointment process.

Proposed solutions

1. 18-year terms with a vacancy every two years.
2. A structured transition for sitting justices to prevent disruption.
3. A constitutional path if required, with public education and bipartisan coalition building.

Current legislative model
A modern version of this concept is reflected in H.R. 1074 (introduced February 6, 2025), which establishes regular appointment intervals.

What I can do now in Congress

• Support regular-appointment legislation and ethics enforcement immediately.
• Push public education and coalition building on the need for modernization.
• Treat term limits and ethics as linked reforms, not separate silos.

Conclusion and Call to Action

These reforms are not about “tweaking the system.” They are about breaking the cycles that keep people powerless and keep poverty permanent.

If we want a country where hard work actually leads to stability, where the underclass can become the middle class, and where every vote matters, then we have to repair the democratic machinery itself.

This is the work of a generation. But it starts with leadership willing to say plainly: the system is captured, and we’re going to take it back.