Calling an Article V Convention for proposing a Fiscal Responsibility Amendment to the United States Constitution and stipulating ratification by a vote of We the People, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Con. Res. 15 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 15

Calling an Article V Convention for proposing a Fiscal Responsibility Amendment to the United States Constitution and stipulating ratification by a vote of We the People, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 24, 2025

Mr. Arrington submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Calling an Article V Convention for proposing a Fiscal Responsibility Amendment to the United States Constitution and stipulating ratification by a vote of We the People, and for other purposes.

Whereas Article V of the Constitution of the United States states that ``The Congress . . . on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments'' to the Constitution; Whereas congressional and State records of plenary applications for amendments on any subject and applications for the single subject of Inflation- fighting Fiscal Responsibility Amendments compiled by the Article V Library counts Nevada's ``continuing'' application, reported February 8, 1979, in the Congressional Record, as the 34th thus achieving the ``two thirds'' congressional mandate to call the Convention for proposing amendments; congressional records reported 39 applications by the end of 1979, 40 in 1983, and 42 total applications over time; Whereas Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 85 stated that ``The Congress `shall call a Convention'. Nothing in this particular is left to the discretion of that body''; Whereas, beginning in 1979, when Congress appears to have failed in its constitutional duty to count applications and call a ``Convention for proposing Amendments'', the Nation's debt has increased to more than $36 trillion from $860 billion, while the value of the dollar has declined by over 80 percent; Whereas the Constitution was ratified by Convention delegates ``chosen in each State by the People thereof'', and the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition, was ratified in 1933 by a vote of the people for Yes- pledged delegates in 38 of 39 State Conventions; and Whereas the Supreme Court's unanimous opinion in Chiafalo v. Washington stated: ``electors . . . have no ground for reversing the vote of millions of its citizens. That direction accords with the Constitution--as well as with the trust of the Nation that here, We the People rule.'': Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That

SECTION 1. CALL FOR ARTICLE V CONVENTION OF STATES.

(a) In General.-- (1) Call for convention; timing.--As provided in Article V of the Constitution of the United States, and except as provided in paragraph (2), Congress hereby calls a Convention for proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States for a date and place to be determined on calling the Convention. (2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) does not apply if, prior to the expiration of the 60-day period which begins on the date of the adoption of this concurrent resolution-- (A) the House Clerk provides a written report stating there have never been unrescinded and ``continuing'' applications for a Convention to propose amendments from at least two-thirds (34) of the States on any national issues (plenary) plus the single issue of fiscal responsibility; and (B) the House Clerk includes in the report detailed findings for each State. (b) Ratification of Amendments by States.--Each proposed amendment at the Convention for proposing amendments called under this section shall be ratified by a vote of We the People in three-quarters (38) of the States via State Convention delegates who shall ``have no ground for reversing the vote of millions of its citizens'' (Chiafalo v. Washington).

SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION TO ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES.

A copy of this concurrent resolution shall be transmitted to the Administrator of General Services for submission to the legislatures of the several States. <all>