Senator Braun calls for Convention of the States to add term limits, balanced budget Constitutional amendments

Local Sources- Senator Mike Braun spoke on the Senate floor to voice his support for a Constitutional Convention of the States, and introduced an amendment to a spending bill that would make it easier for the American people to call a Convention of the States as outlined in Article V of the Constitution.

In his speech, Senator Braun criticized Congress’s failure to pass a budget, relying instead on “continuing resolutions” which kick the can down the road for months at a time.

Senator Braun also took the Senate to task for spending with yearly $1 trillion deficits, contributing to the $30 trillion of national debt, $45 trillion in debt we’re heading to based on President Biden’s spending blueprint, and the inflation crisis hurting every American family.

Senator Braun called for a Convention of the States to be held to amend the U.S. Constitution with constitutional amendments that would add term limits to the House and Senate and require a balanced federal budget.

Braun introduced an amendment to the CR that would specifically direct the Archivist of the United States to publicly publish applications from States for a Convention, and to notify Congress when the Constitutional threshold (two-thirds, or 34 states) has been met. This Constitutional threshold for a Convention has been met twice before, most recently in 2021, but Congress failed to call a Convention. Senator Braun’s amendment would add some structure to the process, make the State petition count transparent, and help hold Congress accountable to public desire for a Convention.

Article V of the Constitution lays out the two processes for amending the Constitution: through Congress, or through a Convention of States where amendments would need to be ratified by three-quarters of all states. 

Trafalgar Polling Group conducted a poll on Constitutional Convention of the States in July: 81% of Republicans, 50% of Democrats, and 63% of Independents said they wanted a Convention of states to address term limits for Congress, federal spending restraints, and limiting the federal government to its constitutionally-mandated authority.