It is my firm opinion that there is a problem with our Federal Congress in the United States. That problem exemplifies itself in several ways, including an ever-growing bi-partisan penchant for pork barrel (earmark) appropriations used to insure the reelection of incumbents and a cozy and unhealthy relationship between members of Congress and lobbyists (corporations, trade unions, industry associations, advocacy organizations and other 'special interests'). I and a growing number of Americans – from all sides of the political spectrum – are of the opinion that the only solution is to return our Congress to what the Founding Fathers intended – a 'Citizen Congress.'
The Founding Fathers did in fact include term limits in the original Articles of Confederation. Members of the Confederation Congress were restricted to no more than three years service in any six-year period. When the Constitution was being drawn up, the delegates debated term limits for the House and Senate. In the end, however, most of these statesmen could not imagine that anyone would want to spend much time in Washington!
Today, it should be obvious to anyone with an understanding of modern politics that a term limit amendment will stand very little chance of acquiring the affirmative votes of 290 Congressmen and 67 Senators (2/3s of each house) or even being brought up for debate or vote. In November 2009, Sen. Jim DeMint introduced a bill in the Senate to do just that and it was cosponsored by Tom Coburn, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Sam Brownback (two of which at the time were planning to retire). As of April 2010, it has never been brought up in Committee by the powers in Congress.
The Constitution has been amended 27 times and every time the amendment process has begun in the Congress. Most people think of this as the only way amendments are initiated, but the Founding Fathers did in fact provide an alternative.
The pertinent portion of Article V of the Constitution reads as follows: "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; ..."
Therefore, the unused alternative technique is the only chance this measure will have. Thirty-four state legislatures must pass a resolution calling for a national meeting which would be assembled to introduce and pass this amendment or some close compromise thereto. In order to avoid the potential for a wide open forum which might propose complete reorganization of the Federal Government, the state "applications" to Congress must be very specific in limiting the scope of the convention. In order to insure that both Congress and the public are clear that the 34 required resolutions (technically referred to as "memorializations") these first 34 resolutions must be nearly identical. To that end, I have drafted a resolution to be passed by each of the houses of each of these state legislatures.
Please pass this along to anyone who you think may be helpful in getting this process underway. It is - in my considered opinion - something we must do to preserve our Republic. This should return Congress to its original intent - to be a assemblage of everyday citizens of the United States and not a lifelong career. You may use this short address to give to others or to return here yourself: tinyurl.com/uscon-amend.
Click on Amendment to see the actual text of the amendment, or Resolution to see the resolution which must be passed by each house of each of 34 state legislatures, or Links to look at other sites discussing this subject. Finally, for the really curious, click on Original to see the first draft I sent around late in 2009.