Over the weekend, close to 100 legislators from 32 states gathered at George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon.
Their reason was to discuss the possibility of a Convention of the States, as described in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Article V is the path to proposing amendments to the Constitution.
Article V of the Constitution reads as follows:
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
With that in mind, approval ratings for Congress are at all time lows and people have no confidence in what goes on in Washington.
So what does all this mean? Not only are the people fed up, but so are the states. They are willing to take matters into their own hands and restrain Washington.
Again . . . What does this mean? Why now? What is happening?
One poll shows that 75 percent of Americans support Congressional term limits, while another indicates 74 percent support a balanced budget amendment.
So, this group of state legislators have organized and put together a plan that would provide a way to amend the Constitution.
It’s fairly obvious that two amendments could be proposed: 1) term limits, and 2) a balanced budget amendment.
President Eisenhower said on Congressional term limits: “What is good for the President might very well be good for the Congress.”
On a balanced budget amendment, Ronald Reagan said, “That’s why I’m one of those Americans who has always believed a constitutional amendment mandating that Congress balance the budget is the answer to what ails us.”
If you want to find out more about who’s saying what, just take a look at #MountVernonAssembly