How out of touch are our elected officials in Congress?
While the nation struggles under the economic devastation of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the main bill being debated by Congress this week would legalize marijuana. Another major bill would ban the private ownership of big cats and is being pushed by “Tiger King” star Carole Baskin.
A recent study found that over 800 small businesses are closing each day in our country. According to that study, 60 percent of those businesses will not reopen.
Another study put the number of closed businesses even higher. That report showed 316,000 businesses closed between February and September, which puts the number of daily closures at 1,500 a day.
These hair salons, restaurants, and gyms represent the life's work of countless hard-working Americans. These men and women didn't ask for the lockdowns to be imposed, and many question whether total lockdowns were even effective. Their businesses are closing not because of mismanagement but because of ill-advised, top-down government policies.
But Congress has done nothing to help. After passing the first round of aid in March, partisan politics have ended any further negotiations.
That doesn't mean Congress is sitting on its hands. This week's primary piece of legislation is a bill to decriminalize marijuana and provide a process for expunging marijuana-related convictions. Our elected "leaders" in D.C. will also consider legislation pushed by reality TV star Carol Baskin that would criminalize the breeding and possession of big cats. She calls it “the most important big cat bill ever.”
It may be the most important big cat bill ever, but it's not the most important bill to millions of jobless Americans. This is just the latest example of Congresspeople sitting on their hands while their constituents struggle, and We the People won't stand for it much longer.
That's why over 4.7 million Americans have voiced support for the Convention of States movement. An Article V Convention of States is the ultimate tool to remind our elected officials that they work for us, not their own selfish political interests.
A Convention of States is called and controlled by the states and has the power to propose constitutional amendments. These amendments can limit the power of the federal government, mandate term limits for career politicians, and impose fiscal restraints on Congress.
Taken together, this complete package of amendments would be the most humbling experience in the history of the federal government. Washington would be left with less power, less influence, and less money than they've ever had. If you want Congress taken down a notch -- and forced to pay attention to the issues Americans actually care about -- join the Convention of States movement in your state.
