This op-ed was previously published in the Washington Times by Convention of States Maryland volunteer William Boykin.
A Convention of States is the vehicle to rein in Congress and the Federal GovernmentWashington is broken. The federal government has become too powerful. Congress’ wasteful spending has resulted in a national debt growing over $30 trillion with no end in sight. The corruption runs deep in Washington, D.C. with career politicians – in both political parties – who have spent the majority of their lives on Capitol Hill and make decisions based on special interests and ideology instead of the wellbeing of the American People. The federal government’s inability to work for the American people isn’t a perception split by political affiliation either.
A Convention of States is a bipartisan solution capable of fixing the nation’s deepest issues. This solution is in Article V of the Constitution, which allows the states to call a Convention of the States to propose constitutional amendments to restrain the Federal Government’s power and to return power back to the states. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are now in favor of holding a Convention of States to address the mounting issues within the excessively powerful federal government. This convention can be held once 34 states pass the resolution.
Currently, 19 states have agreed to hold the convention. The states elect delegates to represent them at the convention to propose, debate, and vote on amendments at the convention; each state gets one vote. Proposed amendments are sent to the state legislatures for ratification. When 38 states ratify a proposed amendment, it becomes part of the Constitution. Congress does not have a say in the process.
The proposed focus of the resolution is 3 basic issues that Americans are highly energized to see enacted:
1. Term Limits for all federal officials both elected and appointed.
2. A Balanced Budget to apply fiscal restraints on Congress
3. Restraint on Federal Government usurping of power and jurisdiction from the States as specified in the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. ”The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”Some state delegates are hesitant to support this movement in spite of the fact that its intention is to return the Constitutionally intended powers to the State.
The majority of both Republicans and Democrats support an Article V Convention of States. Polling shows 50.2% of Democrats say they would be in favor of a Convention of States while 81.3% of Republicans say the same. The vast support among differing political views proves Convention of States is a bipartisan solution capable of fixing the nation’s deepest issues. With over five million supporters across the nation and almost 2.4 million petition signers, COS Action is on its way to making a historic Article V convention a reality.
We need support from Maryland citizens to sign Article V Convention of State petitions which are sent directly to state legislators and will influence their vote on the resolution.
Show your support for the Convention of States movement by signing the petition on the Convention of States website.
We encourage all patriots to help fight back against the outrageous government abuses we see today by taking action with COS.
