Accountability is not a slogan — it’s how a functioning Republic works. When public institutions operate under clear rules, transparency, and enforceable boundaries, trust builds over time. When those guardrails weaken, or become unevenly applied, confidence erodes.
This plan focuses on structural reforms Congress can implement to strengthen oversight, reduce conflicts of interest, and clarify constitutional roles. This will make it easier to serve with integrity, and harder to misuse public power.
The focus is structural design rather than partisan grievance. The goal is simple: make it easier to serve with integrity and more difficult to misuse public authority.
Managing Risk - Guardrails Against Overcorrection
Accountability reform must avoid unintended consequences. Overly complex rules can create paralysis or a politicized environment. Reforms should prioritize clarity, enforceability, and proportionality. This is crucial to deterring misconduct without weakening effective governance.
Why Federal Institutional Accountability Matters to the MA-6 Community
Institutional credibility affects local businesses navigating federal regulations, veterans interacting with agencies, families depending on consistent rule enforcement, and communities seeking predictable infrastructure funding. When institutions operate predictably and transparently, economic and civic stability increases, bettering the entire community.
What I pledge to do:
1. Strengthen and Modernize Disclosure Standards
- Update financial disclosure frameworks to reflect modern asset structures, such as hedge and private equity funds.
- Ban the trading of individual stocks by members of Congress and their spouses. Only Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) and Mutual Funds should be permitted for members of Congress to trade.
- Make financial disclosures simple, searchable, and accessible to the public.
- Clarify blind trust requirements where applicable.
Outcome we’re aiming for:
Ensure Members of Congress are there to Serve You and not Themselves
2. Clarify and Tighten Post-Service Employment Restrictions
- Review cooling-off periods for senior staff and members.
- Establish clearer guidance on lobbying disclosure.
- Increase enforcement consistency.
- Enforce Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) standards consistently and transparently.
Outcome we’re aiming for:
Members of Congress Should be Held to the Same Standards as Their Constituents
3. Protect and Strengthen Inspector General (“IG”) Independence
- Transparency in government is critical for maintaining public trust. That’s why it is imperative we surge IG resources and other internal accountability systems.
- Standardize internal review reporting timelines to Congress.
- Increase resource stability for IG offices to prioritize government oversight.
Outcome we’re aiming for:
Enforce Accountability for Federal Departments and Agencies
4. Reinforce Whistleblower Protections
- Expand secure reporting channels.
- Ensure timely and transparent enforcement of anti-retaliation protections.
- Provide clear guidance on lawful disclosures.
Outcome we’re aiming for:
Protect Whistleblowers from Retaliation
5. Reassert Congress’s Constitutional Role
- Passing an annual budget.
- Strengthen oversight of delegated rulemaking.
- Set clear limits on emergency authorities.
- Require periodic review of long-standing authorizations.
Outcome we’re aiming for:
Congress Reasserts its Constitutional Responsibilities and Authorities
6. Improve Appropriations Transparency
- Standardize reporting for directed spending.
- Improve public access to appropriations data.
- Increase clarity in committee-level decision processes.
Outcome we’re aiming for:
Reestablish Trust in Congress through Increased Transparency
