House Joint Resolution 4 - Introduced
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4
BY WILLS, GUSTOFF, STONE,
MOHR, and LUNDGREN
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
1 A Joint Resolution calling for an Article V convention in order
2 to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United
3 States that impose fiscal restraints, limit the power and
4 jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the number
5 of terms that a person may serve in Congress.
6 WHEREAS, the founders of the Constitution of the United
7 States empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty
8 against future abuses of power by the federal government; and
9 WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing
10 national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and
11 WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate
12 roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal
13 mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent; and
14 WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under
15 a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United
16 States; and
17 WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect
18 the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations
19 to come, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the
20 United States through a convention of the states under Article
21 V of the Constitution of the United States for the purpose of
22 restraining these and related abuses of power; NOW THEREFORE,
23 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 That the General Assembly, as the legislature of the state of
2 Iowa, hereby applies to the Congress of the United States under
3 the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United
4 States for a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose
5 of proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United
6 States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government,
7 limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and
8 limit the terms of office of federal officials and members of
9 Congress, and no amendments on any other topic; and
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
11 a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
12 Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
13 least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
14 for a similar convention under Article V, or the General
15 Assembly resolves to withdraw this application; and
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall
17 transmit certified copies of this resolution to the President
18 and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and
19 Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, each
20 member of the United States Senate and the United States House
21 of Representatives, and to the presiding officer of each house
22 of the legislature of each of the several states.
23 EXPLANATION
24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26 This joint resolution constitutes an application requesting
27 the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention
28 in order to propose amendments to the Constitution of the
29 United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal
30 government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal
31 government, and limit the terms of office for federal officials
32 and for members of Congress. The resolution constitutes a
33 continuing application to call a constitutional convention.
34 The resolution requires the Secretary of State to transmit
35 certified copies of this resolution to the President and
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1 Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk
2 of the United States House of Representatives, each member
3 of the United States Senate and the United States House of
4 Representatives, and to the presiding officer of each house of
5 the legislature of each state.
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