What does Article 5 of the Constitution say?

Article V says that “on the Application of two thirds of the Legislatures of the several States, [Congress] shall call a Convention for proposing amendments.” The convention can propose amendments, whether Congress approves of them or not.

Is balanced budget part of the Constitution?

There is no balanced budget provision in the U.S. Constitution, so the federal government is not required to have a balanced budget and Congress usually does not pass one. Several proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution would require a balanced budget, but none have been enacted.

What are the two methods in Article V of proposing constitutional amendments?

Article V of the Constitution provides two ways to propose amendments to the document. Amendments may be proposed either by the Congress, through a joint resolution passed by a two-thirds vote, or by a convention called by Congress in response to applications from two-thirds of the state legislatures.

What is required for a constitutional convention?

Today, 34 of the 50 state legislatures would need to apply in order for Congress to call a constitutional convention. The Article V convention is a way for the states to bypass Congress. When two-thirds of the state legislatures apply for a convention, Congress is constitutionally required to call it.

What is the Article V convention of states?

Article V of the U.S. Constitution gives states the power to call a Convention of States to propose amendments. It takes 34 states to call the convention and 38 to ratify any amendments that are proposed.

Is a balanced budget amendment a good idea?

Spending often must be increased during those times or the economy can get worse. “By requiring a balanced budget every year, no matter the state of the economy, such an amendment would raise serious risks of tipping weak economies into recession and making recessions longer and deeper, causing very large job losses.

Who in the US is affected by the so called balanced budget rule?

Answer: A state’s operating budget typically has to be balanced. This does however not mean that states cannot go into debt, as states also have a capital budget, to which the balanced budget rule does not apply.

Which is outlined in Article V of the Constitution?

Article Five of the United States Constitution describes the process whereby the Constitution, the nation’s frame of government, may be altered. Under Article V, the process to alter the Constitution consists of proposing an amendment or amendments, and subsequent ratification.

How many states does it take to get an Article V convention?

Alternatively, Article V allows the states to call a Constitutional Convention if two-thirds (or 34) of 50 states submit a resolution proposing an amendment on one or many topics (or just a general call for convention without proposing a specific topic).

What is the Convention of States 2021?

The Convention of States Action advocates a national effort to call a convention of states to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction and impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.

When did States call for balanced budget Convention?

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, dozens of state legislatures passed resolutions or “calls” for an Article V convention to propose a balanced budget amendment. Some BBA proponents claim that by 1989, 32 states had called for a convention for a balanced budget amendment.

Is there a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution?

While there are several ongoing pro-convention campaigns, the effort to add a federal balanced budget amendment (BBA) to the Constitution has progressed furthest. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, dozens of state legislatures passed resolutions or “calls” for an Article V convention to propose a balanced budget amendment.

Are there any plans for an Article V Convention?

Due to the threat of an Article V convention, several state legislatures have rescinded their Article V BBA convention applications, including Delaware (2016), New Mexico (2017), Maryland (2017), Nevada (2017), and Colorado (2021).

Are there any rules for a constitutional convention?

The Constitution offers no guidelines or rules on how a convention would work or if a convention can be limited to considering one amendment or subject.