Governor Ron DeSantis calls for term limits, other Constitutional reforms to hold Congress and Washington, D.C., accountable
Press release from the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis called for constitutional reforms to hold the U.S. Congress accountable and, in doing so, protect the people of Florida from a reckless federal government. Florida calls for the following proposed amendments: a balanced federal budget, congressional term limits, equal laws for the public and members of Congress, and line-item veto authority for the President of the United States.
“Washington, D.C. works for itself, not the American people,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The current incentives in D.C. are to put American citizens last, and that needs to change. These reforms – term limits, a balanced budget requirement, a president line-item veto, and a requirement that all laws apply equally to members of Congress – will return power from entrenched D.C. elites to the American people and will incentivize better behavior by those in D.C.”
“Our state’s success is built into our constitution,” said Speaker of the House Paul Renner. “In Florida, we’ve proven that a balanced budget amendment and term limits work. That’s why we’ve passed resolutions urging Congress to enact them on the federal level. We will pass additional resolutions that support amendments prohibiting Congress from excluding its Members from any law it passes and giving the President of the United States line-item veto authority on the federal budget. It’s time Congress tries things the Florida Way.”
“The line item veto, term limits, and balanced budget requirements have worked well here in Florida and help our state guard against the rampant corruption, abuses of power, and overspending we see in Washington,” said Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. “Our founding fathers envisioned elected service as a short-term sacrifice, not a means of personal enrichment in which elected officials can pick and choose which laws to follow. The American people are fed up. With these initiatives, Florida is sending a strong message that the federal government must be accountable to the people.”
“I am pleased to join Governor DeSantis and Speaker Renner as together they have shown how to lead our state with commonsense limits on government, while expanding freedom and opportunity for all,” said Foundation for Government Accountability President and CEO Tarren Bragdon. “These four amendments take lessons from Florida to Washington, D.C. where they are sorely needed.”
Balanced Federal Budget (HCR 703/SCR 324)
The concurrent resolution constitutes the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing constitutional amendments to the Constitution requiring a balanced federal budget, in the absence of a national emergency.
Congressional Term Limits (HCR 693/SCR 326)
The concurrent resolution constitutes the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing constitutional amendments limiting the number of terms a member of Congress may serve. The concurrent resolution does not specify the number of terms that members should be allowed to serve.
Currently, there is not a limit on the number of terms a member of Congress may serve. In the early 1990s, 23 states, including Florida, approved state constitutional amendments or passed laws imposing congressional term limits. However, in 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that congressional term limits may only be imposed by amending the U.S. Constitution.
Line-Item Veto
Propose a concurrent resolution that will constitute the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing a constitutional amendment that gives the President of the United States line-item veto authority for all appropriations.
Equal Laws for the Public and Members of Congress
Propose a concurrent resolution that will constitute the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a convention for the sole purpose of considering and proposing a constitutional amendment that provides that Congress may not pass any law with an effect on the people that does not apply to members of Congress.
Article V of the United States Constitution provides the specific process for amending the document. Congress may directly propose amendments to the Constitution, the method used for each amendment ratified since the Constitution went into effect. Alternatively, upon application by the legislatures of two-thirds of the states, Congress must call a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments. A proposed amendment goes into effect once ratified by the legislatures or state conventions of three-fourths of the states; the method of ratification being solely the choice of Congress. These four concurrent resolutions will constitute the state’s application to Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of considering the four proposed amendments.
Oh wow 👌🏾 I forgot 😅 he was still governor.. guess culture wars and victimization for the party 🥳 of white grievance didn’t appeal to the nation.. welcome back Ronnie.. Hospitals are starting 2 fill up again from covid.. the state attorney General says no to shots because that’s what he’s paid 2 do.. which leaves us back to square one..
The state Attorney General is female, so I guess we can also neglect the other “facts” in your comment.
Evidently when the good Lord said brains, Free Speech TIL just missed out altogether.
I think you mean Surgeon General. Just like a wokey keep getting it wrong again and again.
Respectfully the Constitutional Convention call for Term Limits and a Balanced Budget Amendment is preloaded with false information from the COS lobby.
The prospect of a Balanced Budget is perpetuated by the belief that it will curb spending. As Speaker Renner is quoted DC should do it the Florida Way. Well Speaker Renner, 10 years ago with a balanced budget spending in Florida was at $77B and is not over $100B. The BBA obviously did not curb spending.
The Term Limits restriction, also in place in Florida, does nothing to change the party holding the seat most of the time. Conservatives are misled believing a termed out Nancy Pelosi will some how usher in a more favorable candidate to conservative causes and be of moral upstanding character. Unfortunately Nancy’s replacement would still be voted on by the same people who voted for her. Without changing the heart and mind of the voter, term limits will do little to reign in out of control DC.
Term limits will also embolden the administrative state and create more apathy among voters. Why? Because both would simply rely on time, sit back, and wait it out. The other thing it does, creates a last term of office where in an elected official has no pressure of re-election to govern their decisions.
Lastly, let’s look at the process. The Convention mechanics are determined by Congress. The very body the State Leg is trying to reign in. How do you think that will work out? The State Leg is also under the impression the amendments proposed in a Convention would come back to them [The State Leg] for ratification. Note there is a method in the Article V process to ratify in a “ratification convention”….bypassing the State Leg.
Do you think a Convention controlled by Congress would limit the Convention to JUST a BBA and Term Limits as Tallahassee thinks?
Gov DeSantis is a noted endorser of the Convention of States group and he is wrong on this for a number of reasons.
Tim Marden
Alachua County Republican Party Chairman
PS I have followed this issue for nearly 10 years and feel, though not an expert, have a good idea of the minutia of the issue.
Yes, Nancy Pelosi has clearly felt the pressure of re-election to govern her opinions. /s
DC’s Left are all communists and its Right are hardly any better. Might as well have some turnover.
(You are correct that a BBA won’t do a thing about curtailing spending. Only a president with spine will do that)
Tim, State of Florida spending is lagging behind inflation, by about 2% overall since 2014, so your argument about an increase from 2014 is flawed. Current spending also includes paying off large sums of previously acquired State Debt! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a proponent of Big Government as I’m Libertarian at heart.
Additionally, the tax burden, per resident, has actually dropped by 11% under DeSantis. That is an incredible figure, which includes both paying off old debt, and ignores non-citizens living in FL.
BBA can be effective, if the Citizenry hold their Reps feet to the fire. Alternative Media, such as the Alachua Chronicle, are great ways to do that, as is operationalizing Civics in regard to the school-aged Citizens. More Civics, less Gender Studies and Less Taylor Swift!
I agree that we should be cautious of a COS, but we can’t disregard it all together. If the Representation is ever right, we need to seize the opportunity and update the Constitution to limit Government in new ways.
Your claim that a BBA can be effective is simply gaslighting those that do not know any better. Every single BBA proposal that has been bandied about states nothing about eliminating any unconstitutional spending. Nor do these BBA proposals redefine the spending power limits that are already mentioned in Art 1 Section 8. Every single BBA that has been proposed actually authorizes any spending as long as the Federal Government can increase the taxes taken from Americans to cover the spending. The spending cap derived from a BBA could be 90% paid in taxes for every dollar we make. We can not “hold our Congressmen’s feet to the fire” currently because we have to fight 2 fronts…. the Entrenched Republican Establishment and Democrats…. both of whom enjoy spending other peoples money.
Your comment speaks to the people making decisions. Splitting hair I know but hear me out.
The functionary process of that has nothing to do with the BBA, it has to do with those elected making the decisions. And making good decisions.
The elected people make the difference. But we do not have those in Tally in DC.
The BBA Purports to solve the spending problem in DC. Because it, as you pointed out without realizing it, requires good people making those decisions.
The rule is only as good as it is followed and enforced.
TBT, the Constitution has ALL the levers of restriction needed already if:
A. everyone knew what they were.
B. they followed it
C. we held them accountable to it , when they weren’t followed.
Here again though….most people do not know the government rulebook aka the Constitution. How do you know if they are committing a penalty if you don’t know the rules?
Just rechecked my math, State Spending is lagging inflation by 9%, not 2%, since 2014. Per capita spending is down 16% under DeSantis. Incredible.
Dude, no one’s interested in your opinion on national issues even among Republicans, and that was just made clear. Cut the campaigning crap and do your job
Agreed – Ron’s just miffed because his campaign failed so miserably so he’s trying to become relevant in DC to retaliate.
But don’t expect him to come back here and do his job – he hasn’t been interested in Florida since before he was re-elected governor except to grandstand and use our state funds, resources and personnel, to run for the WH.
Fighting his war against woke, Disney, gay and trans people has taken the spotlight off the people who funded his campaign – the Florida insurance industry.
I, as well as almost 90% of Floridians, support the Governor’s effort to stop sexualizing our kids, pervert. Thankfully he just made sexual assault on kids a capital offense, subject to death, with only 9 votes required because of pervs like you who derail justice.
Washington has just been waiting for Ron to sort it all out. I would suggest that he pull on his tall boy boots and get back to his draconian Florida governing.
If they so todo line item vetos, then make them vote on single subject spending bills. It’ll force our “representatives” to think about what their district voters want, debate pro and con on each subject, so it’s on record. Instead of the omnibus bills and continuing autopilot federal budgets, proving DC pols are all scum.
Reckon Ron forgot he was a member of Congress before running for Gov or just hopes everyone else has forgotten that he was very much a part of the process he NOW criticizes?
The Governor fought for all of these principles in Congress, you left that part out. He even term limited himself, as he promised when he 1st ran. You forgot that part too.
Did I forget something? Let me check…Nope!
It’s remarkably easy to crusade, grandstand, and even vote against something in the halls of Congress when you know it’s SAFE to do so. No way would any of his proposed reforms of this nature ever get a real hearing or favorable action. It would be “referred-to-committee” as they like to say and then quietly wither on the vine as usual.
Term limited himself??? Don’t suppose he recognized it was time to start prepping to run for Gov which he could then use as a springboard to the White House?
An interview with DeSantis’ father several years back revealed the Gov was no different from most other aspirants for president; even as a kid Ron was talking about being president someday. This is a long range plan, NOT taken lightly on the spur of the moment.
Do things the “Florida Way.” Uh-oh, the rest of the US better watch out for crazy high property taxes and insurance rates. Why doesn’t our governor work on those items instead of bloviating?
Local governments set property rates and more often than not, companies who answer to shareholders control insurance rates. Both are concerned more with profits than they are with helping residents.
News Flash – Florida is ranked 48th in the US for per capita tax burden. Only AK and TX are lower, thanks to revenue from the petro industry.
Total effing republican hypocrite there, Ron. You call for these limitations on Congress. Yet you do NOT call for the same for the Government of Florida. Yes you have term limits. How about making YOU and the Legislature follow the same public records laws and Sunshine Laws as everyone else? You can do that this term in TLH. Yet smoke and mirrors about Congress while you in TLH exempt yourselves. Rethuglican hypocrites. Sick power mad fascists.
I am a Pro-Constitution limited government guy and have to ask how anyone that believes adding any of the proposed amendments to our Constitution will actually bring more constitutional adherence to the federal government?
The first thing you have to agree on is the problem, the Constitution which limits and defines federal power is overlooked and ignored. Then ask yourself how will these amendments address the core problem. Lets start with “term limits”.. Congress (both chambers) are currently direct elected from within defined districts. Those districts contain a majority that believe in a certain agenda, whether it is pro constitution or big government. If you term a big government turd Congressman out, the district simply elects another big government turd in and the problems remains that the Constitution is still ignored. Suppose you term a Pro Constitution congressman out, it becomes a much harder fight within the republican party to re elect a Pro Constitution congressman.
Lets move on to Balanced Budgets… this is a legislative action that is already a requirement in the Constitution. The federal Government is already limited in its spending to only those enumerated items listed in Art 1Sect8 of the US Constitution. The problem isn’t so much the deficit spending as it is the unconstitutional budget items the federal government wastes our taxpayer dollars on. A Balanced Budget Amendment simply authorizes that unconstitutional spending as long as there are sufficient tax dollars.
Line Item Veto Amendment? When was the last time a POTUS actually vetoed a spending bill or law simply because they recognized it was unconstitutional? There is so much junk packed into bills that a better Amendment would be one that requires all bills be stand alone.
As American citizens, I agree that ALL elected legislative members be held accountable to the same laws that are imposed on the rest of us. HOWEVER, I would prefer to have ALL federal Legislative members realize that the Federal Government does not have jurisdiction in the everyday lives and decisions of the American populace so there should be NO FEDERAL LAWS imposed that they would need to adhere to in the first place. #UnderstandingtheConstitution #ArtVConConIsBadIdea
Now that Nimrata ended your presidential delusions, you are back in Tallahassee so DO YOUR PAID JOB. Appoint that fifth member to the GRU oversight board. Your, like, JOB.