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Can states amend the Constitution without Congress?

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    Article V lets states make amendments

  • Duration 3:43
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The constitution brand new Fox News polls show congressional approval ratings.

Your record -- just 70% of Americans approve of the job our elected officials are doing to Washington so we've DC so divided.

Nothing is getting done but our next guest says there could be another way changing the constitution.

Without congress John -- well is the director of campaign constitution and he's here to explain how worried job.

Morning state okay so how do you change the constitution without congress well there are two ways to change -- article five of the constitution.

Permits congress to make proposals.

And that permits the states.

To ask congress for a convention in order to make proposals so that's -- way you're gonna do you're gonna try to get two thirds of the states in this country.

To say you know what let's have a constitution.

I constitutional convention.

-- figure out what we're gonna do go for Vince -- you'll never gonna change the constitution because they're too -- in all of the goodies that they're getting the reelection right that's what -- interested in is reelection money power and all the pernicious consequences of those things instead of looking out for the best interest of the country okay so John let's say that two thirds of the -- You're successful you get two thirds of the states to agree to this convention what are you gonna do.

Well the the the business plan that we have adopted provides for a resolution.

That's couched in terminology.

Terminology relating to the declaration of independence.

And these amendments I have -- and proposed amendments with 44 clauses.

The plan is to approve them in advance of asking congress to do any thing so that.

One we don't want to have anybody fooling with the First Amendment the bill writes that balance of powers in these type of things what we're trying to do.

Is diminished the incentives that currently exist that allow our elected represented -- To seek money power recognition and all the things.

Leadership is the problem with America and what.

We are trying to do is make.

Minor changes in the constitution in order to give incentives to obtain leaders who care about their country.

More than about their own reelection and I I know you've got a long list of of how to do that we give me one way to get those leaders who will make some real changes.

Well for one thing targets will no longer be able to exempt itself from laws that imposes of on others.

For another thing they won't have their own a special.

Medicare programs and special retirement programs -- going to be like anybody else.

Another one is a separate committee will decide what their -- -- they they have to -- that do their own thing for retirement just like everybody else you -- to these as process amendments that part of the process but you know the little things add up to changing the big picture in Washington the basic incentive is that if you have these minor changes that -- proposing you're gonna get people running for congress that care about the best interest of the country who have a willingness to sit down and work with each other.

More harmony more reverence for the process all right John I think you may have piqued some interest in some people how to they find out more permission and you get a book called fixes since yesterday and -- I have a website called campaign constitution dot com.

And all of the proposals are on the web site and you can go in there and vote on him.

And this is why don't we need the people to do and I should say this out of the 44 proposals that we have.

31 of them thus far have received over 90% approval.

Not a bomber in the 80% -- three in the seventies and only one in the sixties but we know that Washington's busted -- -- bills -- -- here is John Cox will real pleasure thank you -- thank you for having -- news -- from Colorado.

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