Using a ‘forgotten power’
A convention of states is planning ahead to force Congress to balance the budget.
Arizona’s called convention of states wrapped up with unanimous agreement on rules for an Article V Constitutional Convention proposing a balanced budget amendment.
“In going over the numbers, I’m convinced this is more urgent than ever,” said Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, who was one of three Georgia General Assembly appointees to attend.
“We’re currently paying $360 billion a year in interest on our federal debt, and that’s a big drag on our economy,” he added. “To put that into perspective, the annual bill for the (Affordable Care Act) is $111 billion.”
Rome attorney David Guldenschuh and Rep. Timothy Barr, RLawrenceville, also were among the delegates from 24 states who met in Phoenix for four days last week.
Guldenschuh was elected secretary of the convention, which means he’ll be spending the next two months writing up the journal of proceedings.
“This will become the bible for a future convention,” Guldenschuh said Sunday. “It was very important to me that it be put together properly.”
The proceedings included the creation of the Phoenix Correspondence Commission, a mechanism for the states to communicate with Congress regarding a Constitutional Convention.
Twenty-seven states, including Georgia, have passed resolutions asking Congress to call a convention to look at requiring the federal government to use a balanced budget. Once that number reaches 34, the states can call it themselves under Article V.
Hufstetler said the delegates also created a task force to lobby officials in other states to join the call.
“My next step is trying to work on some of these states that haven’t passed a resolution, particularly South Carolina and Kentucky,” he said. “I will be targeting legislators in those states to get that done.”
Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Virginia also are seen as potential allies in 2018, Guldenschuh said. There hasn’t been a national convention of states for more than 150 years, he noted, so education will be key. “We want to see states start exercising this forgotten power they have to make recommendations to Congress,” he said.
Hufstetler said it would be easier if Congress called the convention. But he said 15 of the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution came about either through a convention of states or the threat of a convention that forced Congress to act.
Once a constitutional amendment is proposed, it would have to be ratified by 38 states to take effect.