For far too long, this country has voted for individuals who say they are going to change the corruption in Washington D.C. and give liberty back to the people. 

Every year, these promises are broken. Meanwhile, a majority of politicians reap the rewards of “serving” the public in one of the greatest countries in the world without ever actually doing anything for their constituents. 

Donald Trump was recently elected President because of his promise to “drain the swamp” that has become Washington D.C., but so far in his presidency, he has done nothing of the sort. Americans need to take action and there is a simple way to go around Congress in order to restore our lost liberties. Article V of the Constitution states:

“The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose  amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the  several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.”

This gives states the power to amend the Constitution and go around Congress. This should not be a partisan issue. It is important to all Americans to limit the power of the federal government. The founders did not intend for the federal government to become as large as it has. They wrote Article V as a way for the people to initiate constitutional changes when Congress would become incapable of doing so. The founders knew there would be a time when Washington D.C. would no longer work for the American people. We simply have to take advantage of this opportunity. 

For a second constitutional convention to be called, two-thirds of the state legislatures would have to vote for the motion. In other words, 33 out of 50 states would need to vote yes for calling another convention. Each state would send one delegate and have one vote in adopting a new amendment. It would not have to be called for just a specific policy issue, but rather the delegates could call for a general convention and allow debate and compromise to guide which possible amendments are sent back to the states for ratification. A proposed amendment would need the ratification of 38 states for it to become an actual amendment to the Constitution. 

An important issue everyone can agree with would be enacting term limits for Congress. The U.S. can no longer afford career politicians who accomplish nothing of note in their time in office. Lawmakers in Washington will not vote to limit their own power, so the people have to come together in order to move forward. Another amendment which could be proposed would be to limit the spending of the government and force them to maintain a balanced budget. With 19 trillion dollars owed and trillions more owed to Social Security, the U.S. cannot afford its massive programs any longer. It is a horrible idea for us to take out massive loans we can’t even think to repay, so why is it okay for the government to do so? 

Enacting these key reforms, along with discussing important issues such as education, healthcare, defense, and the power of the executive branch would go a long way towards solving some of the divide in the U.S., and give power we have lost back to the states and individuals.

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