Disillusion with the federal government is nothing new. But in some corners, it seems to have reached a crescendo. The disastrous COVID response. A debt that seems irretrievably high. Government censorship, a dual system of justice, drugs, crime, illegal immigration out of control— just some of the persistent complaints. All of that has breathed life into a political campaign you may start hearing more about. It’s a push to invoke a provision under the Constitution to convene a Convention of States to rein in big government. Supporters and opponents say it’s closer than you may think to actually happening.

The following is a transcript of a report from “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”
Watch the video by clicking the link at the end of the page.

This is a simulation of what a Convention of States might look like, a dry run organized by advocates last year.

Convention of States Action simulation video: We do have the opportunity to unleash economic, environmental, and constitution renaissance in the United States.

Sharyl: What is the impetus, and what is the Convention of States movement?

Mark Meckler: Well, on a personal level, for me, the impetus was my frustration with not really having accomplished the change that I wanted to see out of the Tea Party movement.

Mark Meckler was a top organizer in the Tea Party. A popular movement started after controversial government bailouts of banks and insurance and car companies in the economic meltdown of 2008. A wave of Tea Party candidates swept into Washington DC with the mission of reining in big government.

Meckler: All these people got elected, the ideas got discussed. Then they went to the DC Swamp, and they were just eaten by the swamp.

Now, Meckler heads up a logical follow on a group called Convention of States Action, which is organizing grassroots campaigns in every state to push back on big government and what they see as systemic waste and corruption.

Convention of States Action video: Even Alexander Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln who favored national government emphasized that Article V gives states authority over the national government. Article V Convention of States is a safe route to stopping federal overreach.

Sharyl: Very simply, what does Article V say?

Meckler: So the second clause of Article V gives the states the power to call a convention to propose amendment, same thing as Congress. When two thirds of the states want a gathering convention, they propose an amendment or amendments and those go out to the states for ratification. We’ve never done that in the entire history of the country.

To date, 19 states have passed Convention of States resolutions starting with Georgia, Alaska, and Florida in 2014 and, more recently, Nebraska, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Wisconsin in 2022 following several years of lobbying.

Rob Kelly/ Staff Counsel, Convention of States Action: Our founders recognized when they were drafting the constitution, Congress cannot be the only body that’s allowed to propose amendments. If so, we’re never gonna get amendments that restrain the power of the government.

This rally was last month in Pennsylvania, one of 20 states considering Convention of States resolutions this year. To call a convention, at least two-thirds of the states, or 34, must agree. Activists are pressing in all fifty states to try to get the required support.

Meckler: We’re at 19 states. So past halfway. We have 15 states to go.

That’s just the beginning. At the convention, agreement from a majority, 26 states, would be required to propose any constitutional amendments. And 3/4, or 38 states, would have to approve or ratify any amendment for it to be added to the U.S. Constitution.

Convention of States Action video: We all know that our government is way off track. The debt is astronomical and is going to cripple not only our own freedom and our own economy but our children and our grandchildren are gonna be effectively slaves paying for all the things that we’re spending money on today. We also know that Washington, D.C. will never fix itself.

Sharyl: What is the agreement, the working agreement that the states that have gotten on board so far are working under?

Meckler: The three subject matter areas being worked right now is term limits. Most Americans love the idea of term limits for Congress, but also term limits for staffers and bureaucrats. Second is anything that would impose fiscal restraints on the federal government. And then last, and I think most important is anything that would limit the scope, the power, or the jurisdiction of the federal government. What I mean by that is the original constitution had 17 enumerated powers. The federal government does pretty much everything nowadays way outside that scope. And we need to rein that in and tell the federal government that there are areas they’re not allowed to be involved in.

Support for a Convention of States tends to be associated with Republicans but, like the Tea Party, its tenets have broader support among a frustrated electorate.

Meckler: We have one of our lead sponsors in Pennsylvania, is a Democrat. I think we now have six or seven lead sponsors in Illinois, are Democrats. And the reason is the things that we’re asking for are not partisan. And we’re saying balance your budget. About 85% of Americans think that. We’re saying that the federal government does too much. Whatever we think that they do too much of, almost everybody agrees they do too much. People believe in term limits, like everybody’s frustrated with Congress. So it’s really not a partisan thing.

It turns out opposition, too, crosses party lines. The left is calling a Convention of States movement radical, extreme, undemocratic, far right, and dangerous.

Nancy McClean/Duke University (MSNBC clip): We are talking about an incredibly radical version of America. But this time it would be made permanent by a nuclear option that exists in the Constitution’s article V.

Liberal activist group Common Cause says: “Wealthy donors, corporations, and radical far-right actors are pushing calls for an Article V Convention to reshape our Constitution for their own benefit.”

But a major opponent doesn’t come from the far left it’s the John Birch Society, which advocates for “less government, more responsibility.”

John Birch Society video clip: They assure us the right to bear arms is not at risk.

The John Birch Society argues that a Convention of States is a way tricksters are plotting to limit the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

John Birch Society video clip: For example, they wish to clarify that the right to bear arms only applies to military ad police forces, which would effectively repeal the Second Amendment. Why would they be holding study groups addressing the Second Amendment if this is outside the scope of their convention?

This year, North Carolina could become the next of 34 states required to hold a Convention of States.

Meckler: It passed the House last year, so it’s just the Senate this year. I think we’re gonna get that done. I think that’ll be the 20th state.

But assuming supporters can eventually clear the many hurdles, if the idea is to rein in a federal government out of control, who says that government would obey new limits set by the people?

Sharyl: It seems to me if the enforcers are the offenders, they’re free to do as they wish. Let’s say there is a constitutional amendment that requires some kind of balanced budget or a big change in how business is done in Washington and they just don’t do it. What happens?

Meckler: Yeah. I think that’s probably the best question there is. The reality is the single most politically muscular act in our entire system of governance is the passing and ratifying of an amendment. Because it takes 38 states to ratify. It means the vast majority of the country are on board with it. Also, politicians do what they’re incentivized to do. One of the reasons they don’t make tough decisions like cutting spending right now, is because the incentives are broken. They won’t get reelected if they do that, if they have a constitution forcing them to do that. It’s a different incentive system.

Sharyl: And lastly, do you think as of today, this is a long shot?

Meckler: I don’t think it’s a long shot. I really don’t. The question is do we get it done soon enough? That’s really my big question. Not whether it happens. Do we get it done before the country comes apart?

Convention of States Action video clip: When the government oversteps its boundaries, we can recalibrate the rules to take power away from Washington, D.C. and give it back to the people and to the states.

Sharyl (on-camera): Meckler’s group says 66% of voters support the idea of imposing fiscal restraint on the federal government and limiting its power. That includes 75% of Republicans, 55% of Democrats, and 62% of others.

Watch video here.

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