It's a commonplace among liberty-loving Americans: Washington, D.C., doesn't listen to the voices of We the People.
It's a true statement, but do you know why?
As Eric O'Keefe, the chairman of the board for Citizens for Self-Governance, explained in a recent op-ed, all the incentives in D.C. compel our "leaders" to listen to the lobbyists and ignore their constituents:
While Americans are not happy with congress or the federal government, Washington, D.C. is very pleased with itself. It is a recession-proof boom town. Recently, I counted 23 construction cranes across the Potomac from my seat at Washington’s National Airport.
The federal government, and those lobbying it, are thriving.
Congress and the bureaucracy are headquartered in a Beltway bubble where every program has a defender, and where we, the people, are seldom seen. We are out in the 50 states doing the work, serving the people, while also bearing the burden of funding this government.
The federal government is not going to volunteer to surrender power just because it is unpopular. Members of congress and the bureaucrats running the government are responding to persistent incentives to expand the size and power of the government which pays their salaries and allows them to rule over us.
Changing some faces in Washington will not change the outcome.
O'Keefe is right. The problem in Washington is structural. It's not a problem with personnel. Changing the people in D.C. won't change the structure, and we'll never reassert control of the capital without changing that structure.
That's why, as O'Keefe explains, an Article V Convention of States is so necessary:
We have never had a convention for proposing amendments. But all other approaches have failed. An Article V convention for proposing amendments is a solution big enough for the challenge we face.
A Convention of States can propose constitutional amendments that limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, force Congress to be fiscally responsible, and limit the terms of office for federal officials.
It's time to change the rules in D.C. Congress will never propose the amendments we need, which is why the people and the states must step in. Sign the Petition below to show your support!
