The Convention of States Action organization (COS) is our nation's largest grassroots, non-profit, non-partisan organization with over 5 million supporters.
The organization has a strong belief in the Constitution of the United States and believes that a State Representative has no greater responsibility than to determine the content of that Constitution through the two processes that are outlined in the second clause of Article V. First, through a convention of the states for proposing amendments to the Constitution. Second, through the ratification process of said proposed amendments to the Constitution.
Our nation is more divided now than it has been since the Civil War. Unfortunately, this division leads to polarized politics -- resulting in extreme government policies. Eventually, these extreme government policies become tyrannical, and our government no longer respects and conforms to “We the People”.
The founding fathers were wise to include a mechanism for amending the Constitution to reflect current times. The goal of Convention of States Action is to follow that mechanism and convene an Article V convention of the states to develop proposed amendments for:
- Term Limits on Federal Officials
- Fiscal Restraints, and
- Limit the Overreach of the Federal Government.
These three topics are chosen for proposed constitutional amendments because they restrict the lifeblood of tyranny: unlimited time, unlimited revenues, and unlimited power.
Without this lifeblood, tyranny cannot exist.
The Convention of States Action organization believes that Term Limits are essential to get more creative and fresh ideas and younger representation with true diversity in our Congress and Federal Bureaucracies. Career politicians bring about stagnation, political polarization, and broker political favors. Newer representatives are closer to the pulse of their communities forgotten by career politicians.
Term Limits will end career politicians who become power brokers in Washington DC over all the other congressional districts rather than remaining a representative of only their congressional district.
The COS organization believes that Spending Restraints are required to (eventually) obtain a balanced budget that does not rely on borrowing or printing money. These only cause inflation that affects the young and poor far more than any other segments of our society.
Excessive spending also causes higher federal debt resulting in a greater amount of federal funds being directed to pay interest on that debt. The youth of America should not be shackled to this debt as a cost for an older generation's privileged living. Paying greater and greater amounts of interest on federal debt denies the next and following generations their choices on how to spend future federal funds. Taking away the next generation’s choices is tantamount to taking away their freedom.
Finally, our communities should be allowed to exercise more self-governance without intrusions by the Federal Government. Our States and Local Municipalities understand the needs and priorities of their communities far better than those in Washington DC. The grassroots organizations can hold their Local and State representatives far more accountable than they can hold the Federal Government accountable. Only the lobbyist holds Washington DC accountable and not for the better.
The voice of the people will be much stronger if the States and Local Governments have the flexibility to determine their destiny and priorities rather than being treated as regional bureaucracies of the Federal Government.
Many people may see these efforts as being conservative. But they are not.
This is not a partisan issue, it’s an American issue.
Some Democrat-led States such as Hawaii and Massachusetts recently passed resolutions out of committee for a floor vote to participate in this national Article V convention. They see that their state’s sovereignty has eroded over time and that they can do better for their constituents than the federal government.
Federalism is a delicate balance between ultimate central government control and a confederation of sovereign States. The COS organization believes that a State Representative should have more power in the decision-making that affects their constituents.
We need to shift the power of governance back toward the States. Not completely, not fully. Just enough so that there is a respectful partnership between State and Federal Governments.
This is what Federalism was always intended to be.
