Posted on 01/20/2022 5:22:38 AM PST by EBH
A pair of Republicans want Ohio to join a national effort to amend the U.S. Constitution with term limits for members of Congress and a balanced federal budget.
"It’s time for the states to step up," Rep. Riordan McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, said.
His proposal, House Joint Resolution 1, would submit Ohio's official application for a Convention of States to create new amendments in three specific areas: A balanced budget, term limits and reducing the jurisdiction of the federal government.
"Congress has had plenty of time to act on the subject items that we’ve laid out," McClain said. "But they've shown an unwillingness to pursue these important measures. I see no other path."
How a constitutional convention works Article V of the U.S. Constitution created a process for states to gather and propose amendments, but a convention has never been called.
hirty-four states have to submit an application to Congress on the same subject in order to convene.
"There's really no timeline," McClain said. But that doesn't mean it's easy.
Fifteen state legislatures have passed the required language over the last nine years, according to the national group behind the idea, Convention of States Action. Nine additional states have passed resolutions in one of their chambers, and 16 states (including Ohio) have introduced the concept.
Rep. Scott Wiggam, R-Wooster, asked about the potential for a "runaway convention" and whether the Bill of Rights might be harmed in the process.
And Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, said the idea "scares the hell out of me" even though he agreed with many of McClain's concerns about federal overreach.
Democratic Rep. Michael Skindell, D-Lakewood, wasn't sure about the process. Giving one vote to each state – regardless of its population – struck him as unfair.
"You're giving more votes to Republican states and then you have more Republican legislatures out there that will control the ratification of this," Skindell said. "You are tilting this to Republican ideas. By diluting the population, you are diluting the ideas of the people."
McClain said ratifying the amendments after the convention serves as a check on both political parties.
"It's an incredibly high bar," McClain said. "Getting 38 states in this day and age to agree to anything. It has to be a bipartisan effort."
Still, he recognized that this is a complicated legal argument, and his fellow representatives might need some time to digest it all.
HJR 1 is waiting on additional hearings in the House before a committee decides whether to put it up for a vote. But the idea has support from Republican leadership in the Ohio Senate.
Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, introduced a similar joint resolution for a convention of states that didn't pass during the last General Assembly.
The K-Street lobbyists like their bought politicians to have a long shelf life.
Any Constitutional Convention held would be a disaster of monumental proportions, as it would get out of hand and the Left would get all kinds of nonsense from their wishlists added—BAD PLAN.
An attempt to amend the constitution would open the door to the left and give them the opportunity to hijack the process and rewrite it to look like the communist manifesto. The Republicans can’t be trusted to keep that from happening; they’re demonstrably too weak.
Term limits, flat tax, abolish the IRS, school choice, etc,etc,etc.
None of it will EVER happen. Pipe dreams.
Never, ever fall for the Term Limits For Congress Trojan Horse. Go there without including CONGRESSIONAL STAFF all the way down to the janitors you will achieve one result only…an Omnipotent Swamp incapable of ever being drained.
Doubt me? Remember this name and what this loser was capable of doing, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. There’s others but this loser is the most visible. Staff Rules all the way down to city councils. There’s where the genuine term limits should be focused.
We can bring home the elected officials that don’t perform, we as constituents have no control over congressional staffing.
Repeal the 17th Amendment. Everything else is a diversion.
And also repeal the 16th.
At best, if focus was only on one single topic (like term limits)....you probably could make a dramatic campaign across the US to have a Constitutional change fixed up. But it would take a massive push like we haven’t seen in seventy-odd years. And I would suggest the text be limited to only 30 words max....to avoid any complication.
Better idea...
The Republican Party imposes term limits on its own members.
Then, the GOP uses term limits as a campaign weapon against any party that refuses to impose term limits.
Also, make the limits long enough so the new members have enough time to learn the job, mature, and grow their influence.
Six terms (12 years) in the House. Two terms (12 years) in the Senate. Twelve years as a state Governor.
“Term limits, a balanced budget: Ohio Republicans want to amend the U.S. Constitution”
A meaningful enforceable balanced budget amendment would be IMPOSSIBLE to craft.
After HUNDREDS of pages of definitions and explanations Congress (Democrats AND Republicans) would find ways around it (loopholes) to continue spending your money. Its what they do.
Term limits are okay with me as long as term limited individuals can run/serve again after say 4-6 years.
If you liked your Congressman or Senator THAT much, you can vote them back in after a few years.
Also that it would not prevent House members from running for Senate or vice versa.
I think that is a fair compromise all could accept. (I didn’t say “like”, I said “accept”).
What good are term limits when the new weasels adopt the same failed policies as the old weasels?
Doubt me? Remember this name and what this loser was capable of doing, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. There’s others but this loser is the most visible. Staff Rules all the way down to city councils. There’s where the genuine term limits should be focused.
We can bring home the elected officials that don’t perform, we as constituents have no control over congressional staffing.
THIS ^^^^^^ If bigfootbob hadn't written this, I would have.
IIRC, OBAMA never actually presented Congress with ANY budget.
Term limits and a balanced budget should be SOP everywhere
Hey, give them a break. Congre$$’$ budget every year includes a hefty pay raise for them so they are taking care of their mo$t important bu$ine$$.
Seems a bit redundant when we already have the oft ignored 9th and 10th amendments. It would work better to repeal the 16th and 17th amendments.
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