Below is a list of modern leaders who have officially endorsed the Convention of States Project. Click here for a list of historic statesmen who have supported this constitutional solution.
Dr. Kevin Roberts, President of Heritage Foundation
“Washington, D.C. is fundamentally broken and it's past time we look outside the Swamp for answers. Providentially, the Founding Fathers wrote Article V into the U.S. Constitution as a backstop to the tyrannical rule we see from the Federal Government today. We have a limited window of opportunity left to save our Republic. I call on states to pass the Convention of the States resolution, which just might be our last best hope." More >
Kirk Cameron
"After spending the time to look into the Convention of States project, I have become an ardent supporter. For those who worry about the idea of a runaway convention, I implore you to put away your fear, do your research, and join me in this movement to return the nation to our biblical and constitutional roots. Now is the time for courage."
Mark Levin
"I have wholeheartedly endorsed the Convention of States Project. I serve on its Legal Board of Reference because they propose a solution as big as the problem. And they are promoting state applications for a convention for the purpose of limiting the scope, power and jurisdiction of the federal government. And that’s what needs to be done." More.
Gov. Ron DeSantis
“I've spent years fighting the DC Swamp, and as a candidate for Governor of Florida, I know the states need to use Article V to take the power away from DC. The permanent bureaucracy will never voluntarily give up an ounce of its power. Florida was the second of twelve states that have already passed the Resolution, and I encourage all other state legislatures to support the Convention of States Project and pass the resolution today.” More.
Jenna Ellis
“I have been a strong advocate for the Convention of States Project, which is focused on term limits for Congress, a balanced budget, and judicial reform. Unelected bureaucrats, activist judges, and the ever-expanding scope, reach and invasion of the federal government into the lives of all Americans has far surpassed what our Founders ever intended.” More.
Mark Meadows
“Joe Biden and Congress continue to push a leftist agenda, even encouraging rule changes to force their will on the American people. It is time for state legislatures to use their constitutional leverage and pass a Convention of States resolution. It time to rein in the power of career politicians.” More.
Vivek Ramaswamy
“[Convention of States] is within the Constitution for a reason. The framers of the Constitution had great forethought for periods just like this one. So I think just getting that convention together will have a useful function for the country. I challenge every other GOP candidate to recognize the same thing.” More.
Dave Rubin
“Our political system is definitely broken, and it needs more than elections to fix it. We need to restore the structure of our system of governance. That’s why I endorse the Convention of States Project, led by my friend Mark Meckler. For people like me who think we need to do more than complain, Article V of the Constitution gives us a way to call a convention, propose amendments, and shove the federal government back in the constitutional box. That’s my kind of solution.”
Sean Hannity
"There's a solution in our Constitution. We have the power to call a Convention of States to restrain the size, the power, the scope, and the jurisdiction of the federal government. If you're serious about saving the nation, this is the best way to do it. Join the constitutional revolution with Convention of States Project."
Rep. Yvette Herrell
“I fully support the Convention of States and an Article V Convention - focused on imposing fiscal restraint, reducing federal control, and enacting term limits as the best path forward to limit the federal government and return power back to the American people.”
Sen. Rick Santorum
"Washington won’t fix Washington. That’s why we must look to the people and the states, and that’s why I’ve joined the Convention of States Project as a Senior Advisor. An Article V Convention of States is the last tool the states have left to reassert their sovereignty and re-balance the power between the federal and state governments. There are good people in Washington, but they won’t save our nation. Only the people and the states can stop the authoritarian juggernaut, and an Article V Convention of States is our most powerful tool. It’s my great honor to be a part of something so significant to the survival of our country." More.
Rep. Pat Fallon
“After serving the good people of North Texas, both in the Texas Legislature and now in Congress, for over a decade, I can testify that the federal government is unwilling and unable to ‘bail out’ the states. If we wish to preserve the blessings of freedom from the greedy hand of government overreach, we must act for ourselves. We cannot afford to wait.” More.
Rick Green
"I started off initially skeptical of an Article V convention…but the more I studied it and the more I looked at the brilliance of the Founding Fathers and the safety net they put in place for an Article V convention…I came to the conclusion: this is the answer. I tell people now, without a Convention of States I don’t believe we save the Republic. I think it’s that important. It’s the tool and the only way to reset the table and put the authority, jurisdiction, and power back into the proper hands."More.
Gov. Greg Abbott
"The Founders of the United States of America inserted Article V into the Constitution, because they knew the entrenched powers of Washington would thumb their noses at the states and try to hijack the system for themselves...That is why we need a Convention of States, authorized in the Constitution, to propose amendments to fix America." More.
Sen. Rand Paul
“Years of abuse and overreach by the judicial, legislative and executive branches of the federal government have obliterated the enumerated powers established by our founders and made a mockery of the 10th Amendment rights granted to the states and the people.
"That’s why I support the Convention of States Project to restore the original constitutional limits on federal power by calling a limited convention to propose amendments to rein in our out-of-control federal government.” More.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy
"The only way to really set things right is to use the power vested in the states under Article V of the Constitution. I support Convention of States Action and its effort to convene the states to propose amendments that will impose fiscal restraints on Washington, D.C., limit its power and jurisdiction, and set term limits for federal officials. I am proud that Alaska applied for a convention for these purposes back in 2014, and I urge our sister states to act now."
Gov. Sarah Palin
"On a state level I think it's very important that we find candidates and elect them, who would be willing to call for a Convention of States if need be. Because that is the tool the people have to rein in government."
Ben Shapiro
"We have to hem in the power of Congress and, in many cases, the power of the Executive, before it is too late. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of politicians when they realize they are now legally barred from controlling your life and they can’t just live in those offices forever? Calling a Convention of States is the only way to get the job done. Sign the petition and get involved. It’s an important cause." More.
Dr. James Dobson
“The genius of our Founding Fathers is on full display in the Convention of States Article V process, which empowers We the People at a local level to continue preserving and protecting the fundamental rights of every individual and keeping America’s limited government in check.
“I encourage every American to visit www.conventionofstates.com and add your name to a growing list of citizens calling for a return of federal power back to the states. Let us raise our collective voices and challenge the entrenched powers in Washington by finally, and for the first time, calling for a Convention of States.” More.
Sen. Marco Rubio
"I put my trust in the people, not Washington, in the critical effort to restore constitutional, limited government. The Convention of States Project is a genuine grassroots movement to achieve that goal, and one that I am proud to be a part of." More.
Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony
“I am in full support, and I completely endorse the Convention of States Action in the state of Nevada.” More.
Sen. Jim DeMint
"I realized that Washington will never willingly return decision-making power back to the American people and the states. Convention of States is the only solution."
Gov. Mike Huckabee
"My longtime friend, Michael Farris - who is an excellent constitutional litigator and professor - has joined with Mark Meckler and Citizens for Self-Governance to actually bring [a Convention of States] into reality. I have reviewed their plan and it is both innovative and realistic." More.
Pete Hegseth
"The leviathan of today's federal government continues to grow unabated, pushing the people further away from our Founder's vision of self-governance. The Convention of States Project is the only constitutional pathway for citizens to save our Republic by restoring it to her citizens. Article V of our Constitution underscores the duty of active citizenship and I am proud to stand with millions of volunteers in this effort."
Dr. Ben Carson
When asked if he endorsed Convention of States, Ben Carson commented, "Very much so... our founders knew that there would probably come a time when you might have to make some adjustments to the Constitution."
Rep. Chip Roy
"I wholeheartedly endorse the Convention of States Project. Washington is broken, and the people--through their respective states--must reassert their power and primacy in our federalist system.The COS Project is marching ahead getting states to call for conventions to establish term limits, balance the budget, and limit the power of Washington.We cannot continue to print trillions of dollars to fund bureaucrats who trample self government and individual sovereignty. I was proud to work to advance the effort in Texas during my time with the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The most effective strategy for meaningful political change lies with the grassroots. I support the work of COS Action and its broad coalition of volunteers and leaders across the nation. The path to saving America is not coming from Washington but from the people."
Gov. Bobby Jindal
"The federal government has clearly grown far beyond the size and scope that the Founders ever envisioned. Over-spending, excessive regulatory overreach, and disdain for individual liberty all run rampant in Washington D.C. Luckily, the Founders gave us a mechanism to reform a runaway federal government in Article V of the Constitution. We can -- and we must -- scale back the monstrosity that our federal government has become. For this reason, I support the Convention of States project efforts to call an Article V convention to propose amendments to restrain the size of the federal government." More.
Lt. Col. Allen West
"Thank goodness the founders had the wisdom to provide us with Article V of the Constitution, which gives us the right and power to hold an Amending Convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to restrain the scope and power of the federal government... Under the system of federalism, I support the efforts to gather a Constitutional Convention of States consistent with Article V and honoring the 10th Amendment." More.
Steve Hilton
"We the people have to take our power back through efforts like the Convention of States Project. That is the next revolution we need."
Charlie Kirk
"The Founding Fathers gave us a foolproof way to rein in an over reaching federal government in Article V. If young conservatives want to take back our country, they will join me in supporting the Convention of States Project. A convention of states is the only constitutional way to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and anyone who wants to give power back to the people will support this growing movement. After all, as we always say at Turning Point, 'Big Government Sucks,' and it's not going to shrink itself." More.
James O'Keefe
"I've dedicated my life to exposing the lies, the criminal acts, and unethical practices committed by the Deep State in Washington D.C. I am under no illusion that those in D.C. will ever voluntarily give up their power. That’s why I am proud to stand with my good friend Mark Meckler and endorse the Convention of States Project. Calling an Article V Convention of States will restore liberty and bring the power back to the people where it belongs." More.
Rep. Jeff Duncan
"I believe the only meaningful recourse for the ongoing abuses of power in Washington is to use Article V and call for a Convention of States. It will propose amendments that will rein in our runaway federal government. What I've seen from Washington is Congress isn't going to get it done. We must look to the Constitution and Article V, and return power to the people." More.
Rep. Russell Fry
"Through the Convention of States Project, Americans champion the wisdom of our founding fathers, who first recognized the need to empower the states and safeguard the rights of our citizens. I fully support the Convention of States Project to restore the rightful balance between the federal government and the states, ensuring prosperity for our nation."
Rep. Eric Burlison
"One of my greatest legislative achievements occurred when Missouri became the 12th state to pass this resolution in 2017. The Article V convention of states process is the only peaceful and constitutional solution that is as big as the problems we face as a country." More.
Dr. Dave Brat
"I believe we have now come to the time when this last resort of the people should be deployed. I have joined millions of other Americans who have signed a petition asking our legislature to pass a resolution to call for a convention of states to propose amendments to the Constitution on the subjects of federal overreach, fiscal responsibility, and term limits."
Bob Vander Plaats
"I believe the time has come for the states to use their power under Article V of the Constitution to put the breaks on our runaway federal government. It is obvious that Washington has no intention of reining in its profligate spending, its trampling of our freedoms, its stranglehold on public education, or its dictating its woke agenda on our families and businesses.” More.
Sen. Ben Sasse
"Washington is broken because too many of these folks – from both parties – are obsessed with popularity, short-term thinking, and permanent incumbency. Neither party is interested in balancing budgets or setting term limits. If a compact and focused convention, like the Convention of States resolution, can circumvent Washington’s navel-gazing, that’s real progress.”
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson
"The Biden administration has led our nation down a dangerous path of reckless spending and incredulous overreach. Despite what his administration and others on the extreme left may believe, we do not have an unlimited amount of money, and we live in a Constitutional Republic which was originally designed to keep our federal government from having too much power.
That is why I support the efforts of the Convention of States Project to allow for a limited Article V convention of the states to consider and propose amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction, and set term limits for federal officials and members of Congress."
Pete Coors
“Our nation is currently at risk, due in part to the massive centralization of power in Washington, DC. Career politicians, activist judges and unelected bureaucrats continually erode our freedom, and steal from future generations by expanding our debt. From decades of business and political experience, including a run for the U.S. Senate, I have come to the conclusion that DC can never fix itself. It is for this reason I have become a supporter of the Convention of States Project. Along with my friends, retired Senator Tom Coburn and Mark Meckler, I believe it is the solution as big as our nation’s problems.” More.
David Barton
"I support an Article V Convention of the States. It is time for states to go on the offensive to limit the overreach of the federal government......."I urge you to support all of the Constitution, and thus the efforts of the Convention of States to pass their extremely well-thought-out and strategic legislation in your home state and thus join us in a call to restore our constitutional republic."
Lawrence Jones
"The only way to put government back in check and return to America to its founding documents is if ‘we the people’ do it. Convention of States is a great organization built by and for the grassroots. I believe we have the opportunity right now to get to convention and turn our country around.” More.
Lt Col. Bill Cowan, USMC (Ret) - Fox News Terrorism Analyst
“The federal government today has grown completely out of control, far beyond the fence of limited government intended by our nation’s founders. The enormity of the federal government and the imbalance of power between the states and the federal government present a threat to our national security. The founders gave us a lawful and orderly process in Article V for the states to exercise the most powerful check on runaway federal power. For this reason, I support the Convention of States Project efforts to call an Article V convention to propose amendments that will limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.”
Steve Deace
"The hour is late for our constitutional republic. It is not alarmist or paranoid to declare our rule of law almost gone," he said.
"One need only to objectively view the day's headlines with government gone wild, and unelected judges appointing themselves a perpetual constitutional convention. With too few exceptions, both major political parties have devolved from protectors of the Constitution to its primary threat.
"As I see it, the Convention of States may be the last chance within the system for we the people to form a more perfect union again." More.
Gov. Jeb Bush
"(I) support convening a [Convention of States] to pass term limits, a balanced-budget amendment and restraints on the Commerce Clause, which has given the federal government far more regulatory power than the Founders intended." More.
Sen. Jim Talent
"I am convinced that the time has come to (call a Convention of States). I see it as an opportunity to renew our Republic from the grassroots...to consider again the great constitutional questions which animated our history and which still have an urgent bearing on the challenges America faces today."
Michael Farris
"Only a Convention of States will give us effective solutions to the abuse of power in Washington, D.C. It is our moral obligation to protect liberty for ourselves and our posterity."
Lawrence Reed
"Many great civilizations failed when government became too large, spending grew and debt ballooned—causing economies to collapse, and liberty to erode. Liberty demands vigilance; we must work to preserve it. I support the Convention of States Project’s mission to use Article V to put limits on federal power for both us and for generations to come. If we fail as a nation it will be because we failed to address the problems facing us." More.
David Horowitz
"The greatest weakness displayed in defending our foundations, by those of us who cherish them, is our failure to leverage the power we have to stop the assault on our institutions and values. Convention of States is your chance to prevent the federal government from extruding its powers into areas which it was never designed to do. This is your opportunity to leverage your power in defense of the constitutional system and the nation it created."
Rep. Louie Gohmert
"By calling a Convention of States, we can stop the federal spending and debt spree, the power grabs of the federal courts, and other misuses of power usurped by the federal government. Our climate in Washington is exactly what the framers feared might arise, and is exactly why the framers gave us the blessing of Article V."
Ken Cuccinelli
"Our Founders knew what they were doing. A Convention of States was put in the Constitution for the express purpose of giving the states a way of limiting the federal government. I support the effort of the states to call such a convention. I’d like to ask you to stand with George Mason and our Founding Fathers."
Morton Blackwell
"I join Mike Farris and Mark Levin in support of a convention of the states under Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution. Some constitutional changes must be made. Nothing less will remove the danger that a future, solidly leftist Supreme Court would “interpret” the Constitution to eliminate the separation of powers and checks and balances in government. The great American experiment with limited government would be over. Probably things would have to get worse than they now are for public support to result in a convention of the states. It’s wise to make ready now for when that time comes." More.
Eric Metaxas
"The founders understood that in order for the American experiment to succeed, America's people would have to be vigilant. But today most of us take our right of self-governance for granted, and as a result we are in peril of losing the great gift we inherited from the founders. I support the Convention of States Project’s effort to call a convention for proposing amendments to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, impose fiscal restraints, and place term limits on federal officials." More.
Rep. Ralph Norman
"The people, not entrenched bureaucrats, are what gives our government power and what makes our nation great. When the people step up and take back this power, it is an embodiment of what our nation's founders envisioned when writing Article V of the Constitution. I fully support the Convention of States and am excited to see meaningful, and long overdue, change occur in our nation." More.
Rep. William Timmons
"Over the course of my first year in Washington, I have witnessed firsthand how our government often betrays the spirit of the Constitution's opening words 'We the People.' The Convention of States promises to be the solution that the Founders envisioned when drafting our Constitution in 1787. I fully support this effort to restore the liberties that our Constitution guaranteed to us."
Rep. Tracey Mann
"America faces urgent threats to our freedom. Too many in Washington politics want to redefine our founding values and ideas. Washington has increasingly become unmoored from the principles enshrined in the Constitution.
"I join former President Eisenhower, my friend, the late Senator Tom Coburn, and thousands of Kansans in the effort to use Article V as a solution to fight the slide toward centralization and concentration of power in Washington.
"I fully endorse the Convention of States effort that would propose more fiscal restraints on Washington, term limits on federal officials, and reduce the power of the federal government."
Rep. Josh Brecheen
"For the last few decades, we have seen unelected bureaucrats subvert the will of the people and pass new rules and regulations without even consulting Congress or state and local governments. This ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach from Washington goes completely against the Constitution and what our Founders intended for our country. Today, I am proud to endorse the Convention of States to limit the power of the federal government and return the power back to the people."
Texas Public Policy Foundation
"The process of having a national conversation about the constitutional promises of liberty, individual rights, and due process is vitally needed. An Article V Amendments Convention to fortify vital constitutional safeguards against an aggressively expanding federal government is exactly what this country needs in order to preserve and protect freedom. The historic movement toward a Convention of States puts Congress and Executive offices on notice that the American people are serious and will insist upon fidelity to constitutional principles. Historians write that just the state activity to organize a Convention of States may have as much force on federal government overreach as the convention itself."
Mississippi Center for Public Policy
"The Founders left us a tool to rein in our federal government, and we’re proud that Mississippi
took the wise and bold action to use it. Unsustainable spending, elected representatives who defer to the administrative state rather than make hard decisions, and politicians who spend most of their time raising campaign funds or arranging cozy crony nests are the compelling reasons why our organization got behind your efforts."
Legal Board of Reference
On September 11, 2014, some of our nation’s finest legal minds convened at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C., to engage in a full, robust discussion of the Convention of States Project. The participants—including former members of the Reagan administration, seasoned Supreme Court litigators, and Ivy League professors—discussed and debated arguments for and against the use of Article V to restrain federal power and evaluated its potential to be used safely and effectively.
The conclusions of these prestigious experts are memorialized in The Jefferson Statement. The names and biographical information of the endorsers, who have formed a “Legal Board of Reference” for the Convention of States Project, are listed below the Statement.
Randy E. Barnett is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. He represented the National Federation of Independent Business in its constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act.
Charles J. Cooper is a founding member and chairman of Cooper & Kirk, PLLC. A member of the Reagan Administration, Mr. Cooper has argued before the Supreme Court, and he spent much of his career defending constitutional rights as a top lawyer for the National Rifle Association.
John C. Eastman is the Founding Director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute. Prior to joining the Fowler School of Law faculty, he served as a law clerk with Justice Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court of the United States and served in the Reagan administration.
Michael P. Farris is the co-founder of the Convention of States Project, the Chancellor of Patrick Henry College, and Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association. During his career as a constitutional appellate litigator, he has served as lead counsel in the United States Supreme Court, eight federal circuit courts, and the appellate courts of thirteen states. Mr. Farris is widely respected for his leadership in the defense of homeschooling, religious freedom, and the preservation of American sovereignty.
Robert P. George is one of the nation’s leading conservative legal scholars and is the founding director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He is chairman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and has served as a presidential appointee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
C. Boyden Gray is the founding partner of Boyden Gray & Associates, in Washington, D.C. Prior to founding his law fi rm, Ambassador Gray served as Legal Counsel to Vice President Bush (1981– 1989), as White House Counsel in the administration of President George H.W. Bush (1989–1993), and as counsel to the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief during the Reagan Administration.
Mark Levin is one of America’s preeminent constitutional lawyers and the author of several New York Times bestselling books including Men in Black (2007), Liberty and Tyranny (2010), Ameritopia (2012) and The Liberty Amendments (2013). Mr. Levin has served as a top advisor to several members of President Ronald Reagan’s Cabinet—including as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of the United States, Edwin Meese.
Nelson Lund is University Professor at George Mason University School of Law. After clerking for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, he served in the White House as Associate Counsel to President George H.W. Bush.
Andrew McCarthy is a bestselling author, a Senior Fellow at National Review Institute, and a contributing editor at National Review. Mr. McCarthy is a former Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney in New York.
Mark Meckler is President of Convention of States Foundation, the parent organization of the Convention of States Project. Mr. Meckler is one of the nation’s most effective grassroots activists. After he co-founded and served as the National Coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots, he founded Citizens for Self-Governance in 2012 to bring the concept of “self-governance” back to American government.
Mat Staver is the Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel and also serves as Vice President of Liberty University, Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law, and Chairman of Liberty Counsel Action.