Convention of States volunteers understand that if we don't do something to reduce the debt and get our nation's finances in check, our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences. Now those young people are growing up, and they're beginning to realize the future result of this generation's irresponsibility.
Check out this excerpt from a powerful op-ed written by college student Shawn Fleetwood and published on The Federalist.
Every year, I watch these budget battles, and every year, I am thoroughly disappointed in the utter disregard and lack of fiscal responsibility by both parties. In today’s hyperpoliticized climate, Democrats and Republicans hardly agree on anything, but it seems the one thing they can agree on is spending our money.
Democrats favoring massive spending is predictable, considering that under President Barack Obama, the national debt grew roughly $9 trillion, more than every other previous president combined. Yet even when Republicans, the party swept into power by the tea party movement, recently controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House, they failed to limit and cut federal spending.
A few prominent Republicans, however, have voiced their dissatisfaction with the bill. According to a letter obtained by Politico, these Republicans’ message to Trump stated, “You should veto this bill because it is fiscally irresponsible,” and, “It blows well beyond what was intended with the 2011 [Budget Control Act] caps. Furthermore, it continues spending hundreds of billions more than what we take in a year and does not put our nation on a path towards a balanced budget.”
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas drafted the letter, which is circulating Capitol Hill to collect signatures from other conservative Republicans discouraged by the massive spending bill.
This growing national debt is like an ever-expanding balloon that in due course is going to pop, and when it does, the U.S. economy will crumble right beneath our feet. A country cannot sustain this massive amount of debt forever, yet as I watch these politicians in Washington champion this deal, I can’t help but think of what this beautiful country will look like 20 years from now when the bills cannot be postponed any more. Everyday American families must balance a budget in their lives to make sure they aren’t overspending, so why should the federal government be any different?
As a solution to D.C.'s fiscal irresponsibility, Fleetwood points to the nationwide grassroots movement to call a Convention of States. A Convention of States is called and controlled by the states and has the power to propose constitutional amendments that force Congress and the President to be fiscally responsible.
It's not too late to avert the coming fiscal crisis, but it's up to us. As Fleetwood puts it,
This country belongs to all Americans, not just the few sitting in Washington D.C. carelessly spending our tax dollars. Sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing will get us nowhere, and it won’t stop the nonsensical spending taking place year after year. If a 19-year-old college student can understand the country’s dire fiscal future and demand better from our elected representatives, you can too.
Sign the Petition below to voice your support, then click here to join your local Convention of States team!
Shawn Fleetwood is a college student attending Germanna Community College in Virginia. After he gets his associate’s degree, he plans to transfer to a four-year institution to major in either journalism or political science.
