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Representative Scott Allen (R-Waukesha) voted today in favor of legislation calling on Congress to convene a convention of states for the purposes of advancing the national dialogue for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Article V of the U.S. Constitution requires that any amendment adopted at a convention would still face adoption by the legislatures of three-quarters of all U.S. states. In addition to the application to Congress to convene the convention of states, the Assembly adopted rules and procedures for how delegates would be appointed and directed to act.
“When I first saw this legislation, I was skeptical. I was concerned with many of the aspects, from the necessity of a convention, to the prospect of a ‘runaway convention,’” said Rep. Allen. “The more I did my own research, the more I learned that the Constitution itself has built-in procedures to protect the republic.”
Today, the federal debt is just under $20 trillion, which is over 104% of our country’s annual gross domestic product. By comparison, private home mortgages are difficult to obtain when an individual’s debt to income ratio is 36% or higher. A nation needs to be equally cognizant of its ability to repay its debt.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that if, in fact, our actions lead to a national convention for the purpose of amending the constitution to restrain federal spending to sustainable levels, then that is, in fact, a conversation that we need to have,” said Rep. Allen. “If we didn’t have a problem, the question wouldn’t be before us. The question is before us.
“The burden to act is ours. Let us act.”
