Governor Ron DeSantis, just a week from suspending his 2024 Presidential campaign, announced an effort Monday to bring constitutional reforms to the U.S. Congress.
DeSantis made the announcement in Naples along with Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.
"It's going to require us working in our individual states using the tools that the Founding Fathers gave us to be able to take power away from DC and return it back to the American people to make sure that the incentives are to produce good government rather than self serving government," the governor said. "And so that's what we're here to announce to do. With speaker Renner's help as well as Kathleen Passidomo in the Senate. And with my support, the Florida Legislature is going to be certifying a series of amendments constitutional reforms under Article Five of the Constitution that will rein Washington in and that will hold Washington accountable."
DeSantis listed the four amendments his effort will be promoting:
- Term limits for members of Congress.
- A requirement for a balanced budget at the federal level
- A line item veto for the president
- An amendment that Congress shall make no law respecting the citizens of the United States that does not also apply to members of Congress.
"We're in a great spot, because people look to us for leadership on a lot of these issues. So now they're gonna see this, this is now back on the front burner. And as states are meeting in their legislative chambers, this is something that's very easy for them to certify going forward," DeSantis said. "So I think you could end up getting there with a balanced budget amendment."
The governor also said that the ideas of term limits or the U.S. Congress is very popular.
"I think we've got some some ways to go on that. But it's not a tough sell. And it's not a partisan issue. And it has appeal across any demographic line or partisan line you can do. So let's do it. Let's get this done. Let's stop complaining about Washington and do something to restrain Washington for a change," he said.
Speaker Renner backed up DeSantis, saying that amendments such as the line item vote were important.
"And I can say out loud as a legislature, legislator when we talk about the line item veto for a governor, look, we're busy in that 60 days trying to do the best things we can for the public safety and education. Do turkeys slipped through the budget process or bad spinning measures? Do they slip through? Absolutely, they slip through," Renner said. "And that's why you need a governor like America's greatest governor Ron DeSantis to be able to look at those and say, look, we got to pare back. We're doing that with our initial budget this year. And with the governor's leadership, we're going to make sure we get back to those pre COVID levels and make sure that we send a signal to the rest of the states and the federal government that they should do the same. "
Details of the proposed amendments:
Balanced Federal Budget (HCR 703/SCR 324)
The concurrent resolution constitutes the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing constitutional amendments to the Constitution requiring a balanced federal budget, in the absence of a national emergency.
Congressional Term Limits (HCR 693/SCR 326)
The concurrent resolution constitutes the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing constitutional amendments limiting the number of terms a member of Congress may serve. The concurrent resolution does not specify the number of terms that members should be allowed to serve.
Currently, there is not a limit on the number of terms a member of Congress may serve. In the early 1990s, 23 states, including Florida, approved state constitutional amendments or passed laws imposing congressional term limits. However, in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that congressional term limits may only be imposed by amending the U.S. Constitution.
Line-Item Veto
Propose a concurrent resolution that will constitute the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing a constitutional amendment that gives the President of the United States line-item veto authority for all appropriations.
Equal Laws for the Public and Members of Congress
Propose a concurrent resolution that will constitute the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing a constitutional amendment that provides that Congress may not pass any law with an effect on the people that does not apply to members of Congress.
Article V of the United States Constitution provides the specific process for amending the document. Congress may directly propose amendments to the Constitution, the method used for each amendment ratified since the Constitution went into effect. Alternatively, upon application by the legislatures of two-thirds of the states, Congress must call a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments. A proposed amendment goes into effect once ratified by the legislatures or state conventions of three-fourths of the states; the method of ratification being solely the choice of Congress. These four concurrent resolutions will constitute the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of considering the four proposed amendments.
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