The U.S. Congress has not been properly motivated to ensure fair and just legislation that applies equally to themselves as well as The People of the United States. Those sitting in the White House have the power necessary to pressure a reform of Congress.
Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."
The "Congressional Reform Act of 2012" has recently stated a few ideas to fix some of the problems in Congress.