'For a More Perfect Union': Book Argues America's 39 Trillion Dollar Debt Is Taxation Without Representation For Future

John B. Bloom's new book calls for shrinking the federal government through retirements, not shutdowns and layoffs

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA, UNITED STATES, November 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The United States entered 2026 with two separate government shutdowns, including a 76-day stretch that left thousands of federal workers unpaid while still required to show up for work. For retired federal engineer John B. Bloom, the standoff was proof of a problem he had already spent a book writing about. That book is "For a More Perfect Union."

In "For a More Perfect Union," Bloom argues that Congress has turned federal employees into political hostages, forcing "essential" workers to labor without pay every time budget talks collapse. He experienced this firsthand during Trump's first term, when he says he worked over thirty days without pay and considered himself "a slave to the federal government." His proposed fix, laid out in the book, is simple. Pay essential employees on time, every time, and stop using shutdowns as a negotiating tactic.

The national debt sits at the center of "For a More Perfect Union." Bloom quotes Thomas Jefferson's warning that loading a nation with debt for future generations to repay is "morally irresponsible," and applies that warning directly to today's nearly 39 trillion-dollar national debt. The book walks through the numbers president by president, arguing that both parties share the blame, and proposes a gradual fix. Rather than mass layoffs, Bloom wants federal agencies to quietly shrink by not replacing employees who retire, since roughly 5 to 7 percent of the federal workforce leaves every year. Departments he considers redundant, such as the Department of Education, would be phased out entirely through this attrition method.

On taxes, "For a More Perfect Union" takes an unconventional position for a conservative activist. Bloom calls for repealing the 16th Amendment, which created the federal income tax, and replacing it with a national sales tax. He argues a flat sales tax as high as 25 percent could be less burdensome than current income taxes, while also pulling the "underground economy," including unreported cash income, into the tax base for the first time.

The book also proposes raising the Social Security retirement age from 62 to 72 over a ten year phase in period, giving workers time to plan around the change, and ending the practice of taxing Social Security income.

"Once the size of the federal government is reduced," Bloom writes, "the national debt, which is deferred taxation passed onto future generations, and taxation on the American people will be reduced, allowing them to save for their future when they retire."

About the Author

John B. Bloom is a retired federal engineer who worked at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Brookhaven National Laboratory before entering political activism full time. He holds a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State University and a master's degree in environmental technology from the New York Institute of Technology. He currently chairs the Constitution Party of Virginia and lives in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. "For a More Perfect Union" is his first book.

About the Editor

Meghan Synan, Bloom's business partner and political administrative assistant, edited "For a More Perfect Union" and contributed additional material to the book. She is the author of "Rain Dance," available on Amazon and through the Library of Virginia. Find more of her work at https://linktr.ee/MeghanSynan.

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