The States' Trump Card against the Fed

The American Thinker ^ | November 29, 2016 | Fritz Pettyjohn

[expat_panama]

A fourth branch of government was created by Article V of the Constitution, superior to the other three. It consists of 7,382 voting members, distributed in the 50 States. In order to act, this fourth branch, which I call the Federal Assembly, must organize itself into a two-thirds supermajority of the States in order to make a proposal. Majorities in both houses of a state legislature in 34 states must agree on the subject matter... ...three-fourths supermajority of states is required to adopt it.

It's hard, and it's never been done in the 229 years we've had the Constitution – not until now. By using their Article V power, in 2017, the states, and the people, will, for the very first time, exercise their sovereignty...

...Two of the other three branches of government, the president and the Supreme Court, have no role to play in any of this...

...the States may choose to meet in a preliminary Convention of States. This was last done in 1861, in Washington. State delegations assembled to try to avert the Civil War, but they didn't have enough time, and they failed...

...There will be a Convention of States... ...We're going to get a Balanced Budget Amendment, so what's next? It is obviously Term Limits.

The campaign for congressional term limits is completely bipartisan. Every Bernie Sanders voter would be for it. They all hate Congress. Everybody hates Congress...

...The entire Article V movement is opposed by President-Elect Trump. He was the only Republican candidate in opposition... ...The states, if they so choose, can use it as a weapon against a tyrannical president. As a matter of law, Article V could be used to impeach a president, or any federal official...

[metmom]

...There will be a Convention of States... ...We're going to get a Balanced Budget Amendment, so what's next? It is obviously Term Limits.

The campaign for congressional term limits is completely bipartisan. Every Bernie Sanders voter would be for it. They all hate Congress. Everybody hates Congress...

Too bad term limits were not written into the original document.

[marktwain]

Term limits sound good, but they have proved ineffective in practice.

California has term limits.

[Leep]

I would rather make them ineligible to run for another term if they do not stay below budget. Problem solved.

[Leep]

The other problem with term limits is an effective representative must go,too.

[stockpirate]

can use it as a weapon against a tyrannical president. As a matter of law, Article V could be used to impeach a president, or any federal official...”

So the real reason is exposed!

But thete areseveral amendment’s that could be repealed.

[goodnesswins]

Maybe doing something about $$$ accumulation would change who stayed elected..
???

[elpadre]

“Too bad term limits were not written into the original document.”

The Founders never dreamed politics would become a profession - a lifetime career.

[Publius]

There is a glaring problem with this article. At present, 29 states have requested a Convention of the States to address a balanced budget amendment. The author is assuming that 5 more states will quickly pile on to reach the threshold of 34 for forcing Congress to set the time and place for a convention. I believe the author to be an incurable optimist.

If Congress stonewalls Trump's request for a term limits amendment, I could easily see the enraged legislatures of at least 34 states piling on very quickly to apply for a Convention of the States to address the failure of Congress. More than an balanced budget amendment, I see term limits rapidly advancing to the head of the national dance ticket. (Cute 19th Century reference.)

[Hostage]

Yes, and once the Assembly of States is called and organized, term limits will become just one item on the agenda for many needed reforms.

The Washington establishment and the press will go berzerk.

Now is the time to get this done because both Congress and the press are the most mistrusted and unpopular institutions and organs today.

We can, of course, expect to see a flurry of arguments from the Establishment and the Press against an Article V Assembly, arguments that we have heard on occasion for many years now and which we are prepared and ready to debunk.

[central_va]

bump

[exnavy]

You are absolutly entitled to an opinion, and there is mo better place to express it than right here! I for one believe it will happen. Just not sure of the time frame.

[Publius]

I'm not sure of the thrust of your argument.

Are you saying that a Convention of the States is inevitable? Or are you saying that a Convention of the States to formulate a balanced budget amendment is inevitable?

[Wneighbor]

The problem with term limits is that we throw good representatives out with the bad. If term limits are passed they at least need to be for a long enough time span that an effective representative can have time to make beneficial changes. States need to be more effective at recalling their own useless, dishonest representatives.

For the Senate, the term limit should not be considered at all. We need to repeal the 17th Amendment, giving power back to state legislatures. The Constitution was written so that states had representative power in their own right thru the Senate. The 9th and 10th amendments are also about the power of states. The passing of the 17th amendment effectively cut our states out of any power at the federal level. Without that power it also crippled the state’s powers granted in the Bill of Rights.

[Wneighbor]

You convinced me in a previous post that we need to look at other options because of the failure of term limits in California. What option do you suggest? How about a recall procedure for the dishonest or ineffective representative?

We do need some method to deal with career politicians. The rest of the US can’t reject Pelosi or McConnell if California and Kentucky continue to elect them...those are just examples off the top of my head. I think you have a good discussion point about term limits but I’d like to find a better alternative if someone has one.

[arthurus]

Move it to the front!

[Wneighbor]

Why is this article bringing up an Article V convention to impeach the president at this point? It’s specifically pointed at a Trump impeachment accusing him of centralization of power. I am personally involved in the effort in Texas in support of an Article V convention but want no part of an impeachment proceding against Trump.

[arthurus]

Little loss there considering the ratio of corrupt pols to honest legislators. Keeping all the rats in order to keep one prize angora is simply not useful to anyone or anything except to continue the gravy train for the rats and to keep them focused totally away from their constituents.

[Wneighbor]

This article is the first I’ve seen mentioning using the Article V convention to impeach Trump. Have I missed this as part of the current agenda?

This is where I meant this post. I originally posted on the wrong thread.

[Publius]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3499456/posts?page=33#33