Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats in Congress have shown any willingness to impose fiscally responsible mandates on themselves. While some members pay lip service to this or that proposal, the American people know that these measures will never pass both chambers.
Our "leaders" in D.C. have too much incentive to continue their wasteful spending practices, and they'll never make the changes necessary to lower the deficit and the debt. That's why the Founders included the Convention of States option in Article V of the Constitution.
A Convention of States is called and controlled by the states and has the power to propose constitutional amendments that force Congress to be fiscally responsible. These can include a balanced budget amendment and spending caps, along with these two proposals currently stalled in Congress. Per the Heritage Foundation,
The first step is to create robust enforcement measures that give Congress a strong incentive to follow its own budget process laid out by law.
One such measure already exists. Recently, Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the No Budget, No Pay Act, which would withhold congressional pay if lawmakers fail to pass a budget by the Oct. 1 deadline, which marks the beginning of the next fiscal year.
That bill was attached to the Government Shutdown Accountability Act, which passed out of committee on June 19, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.
Braun called the move a “big step toward pulling Washington out of la-la land,” and Scott added that the act would hold members of Congress to the same standards as American families, ensuring that lawmakers only get paid if they do their jobs. Scott was optimistic about getting Democratic support for the bill, noting that “accountability shouldn’t be controversial.”
Another accountability measure was introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Her bill would prohibit Congress from going into recess until a budget is passed.
Under her proposal, if a budget isn’t passed on time, members of Congress would be barred from leaving Washington and Congress would not be able to adjourn for more than eight hours.
These are two great ideas that will never see the light of day in Washington, D.C. Fortunately, these are precisely the kind of proposals that could be considered at a Convention of States.
Only a Convention of States can propose real, effective solutions to the fiscal irresponsibility plaguing our nation's capital. The Convention might not consider these exact policies, but they can implement rules that will finally force Congress to consider how their wasteful spending will impact the lives of future generations.
Sign the Petition below to let your state legislator know you support the Founders' solution to federal over-spending.
