States Seek To Reign In Congress With ‘Term Limits and Equal Application of Law’ Constitutional Amendments

We have $18 trillion in federal debt, 20% of American households on food stamps, the Social Security Disability Income Trust Fund nearing depletion and an immigration reform debacle.

The country has not been this mired in critical problems and divided since the Civil War. Yet Congress cannot do the nation’s business.

It has become a body focused primarily on raising money for re-election. Getting re-elected is one area where they do succeed. Despite an 8% approval rating, over 90% of incumbents were just re-elected.

No wonder the country feels helpless and is crying out for reform.

The good news is: State legislators can force reform on Congress. The most important question for the Assembly of State Legislatures is: Which reforms are so popular that they could be adopted by 38 states and become Constitutional amendments?

It won’t be enough for 34 states to pass applications and simply hold an amendment convention. Having support for reforms from 38 states must be the goal. (Thirty-eight states are required to adopt Constitutional amendments, 34 to call an amendment convention.)

Doing otherwise — pushing for reforms that can never achieve approval from 38 states — plays directly into Congress’ hands. Congress and the Washington insiders want the states’ reform efforts to fail.

We cannot let that happen. It is us against them, and this is our chance.

There are two very popular and meaningful reforms on which millions of Americans in both parties agree: Equal application of law and congressional term limits. State legislators should focus their efforts on these two reforms first.

Following a successful amendment convention where precedent is established, the states could call additional conventions to consider other, more complex and divisive reforms.