The following was written by COS Virginia volunteer Chip Buxton and originally published in the Daily Press.
I applaud Digby Solomon’s insightful Jan. 21 Op-Ed lamenting the explosive growth of the federal government, particularly since the 1960s.
He noted that more than 9 million Americans now rely on Washington for paychecks consuming over 20 percent of our economy.
There is a recourse to this phenomenon.
Under Article V of the U.S Constitution, federal power can be curtailed by the people themselves through their state legislatures.
Under Article V, individual state legislatures initiate amendments to the Constitution through a process known as a convention of the states, which is convened when at least 34 state legislatures pass resolutions asking Congress to call the convention.
The convention will then propose specific amendments such as imposing term limits on members of Congress or mandating a balanced budget, or other specific proposals to limit the power of the federal government.
Once approved, the amendment(s) are returned to the states for ratification in the same way amendments adopted by Congress are approved.
To become part of the Constitution, 38 state legislatures must ratify the proposed amendment(s).