The Constitution guaranteed equality under the law.  There is no distinction between Congress and the people.

Currently, it is illegal to lie to members of Congress while giving testimony.  But it is not illegal for them to lie to those they question, or the American people as a whole.  To have true equality under the law, let every congressman be placed under oath from the moment Congress opens until both bodies adjourn.

It should not be legal for them to lie while expecting those they question to speak the truth.

Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, claimed during the first impeachment of then-president Trump to have evidence of Trump's collusion with Russia.  He clearly lied.

The fact that the chairman of the Intelligence Committee claimed he possessed information from his privileged position led people to believe he did, in fact, have classified material that Trump had colluded with Russia.

Those of us who paid attention early on already knew that the false dossier was from Hillary Clinton's campaign.  It was already known to be her opposition research, of which Schiff and others were well aware.

Had Schiff been under oath, would he have made the same assertions while in session, or only casually lied while giving interviews?  There is no way to know for certain.  If placed under oath at the time, it is possible his wording would have been far less clear.

Had he been under oath, he could have been charged with perjury for every lie he told.  It did become known that he was aware there was nothing behind the claims he made.  He lied in his official capacity as a congressman and continued to lie afterward when granting interviews with establishment media.

Per George Khoury, Esq.:

Perjury and lying to the federal government are both crimes that could land a person in some serious legal trouble. If convicted of either crime, a person could be looking at up to five years in prison. This means that if a person is found to have lied during a congressional hearing or investigation, or simply lied to an FBI or other federal agent, actual jail time could result.

Would Schiff have risked five years in prison for each lie he told for cheap political gain?  Or for that matter, any member of Congress?  Given how many lied to the American people while in session during both of the sham impeachments, and considering that then-president Trump never did have his promised day to defend himself and call witnesses as required by congressional rules, it is clear a law is needed to bring equality for perjury.

Congress should be placed under oath.  That maximum sentence for the American people should be the only option available.  Five years for every count of perjury is fitting for those who write the laws.

Cleaning up Washington means being willing to bring charges against congressmen in both chambers.  I have no problem with any member of Congress who lies ending up in prison for five years or the rest of his life, given enough counts of perjury.

The next Republican president, be it Trump or anyone else, should demand equality under the law for Congress and demand they all be sworn in while in session.

Bob Ryan is a writer who has an MBA.  He is an American Christian Zionist who staunchly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.  He has been a weekly blogger at the Times of Israel since 2019.

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