State resolutions demand federal fiscal restraints
With the federal government facing a debt of $36 trillion and realizing that 49 out of 50 states have to balance their budgets, Americans are losing patience with the ability of Congress to enact meaningful fiscal discipline. This is why resolutions have been introduced in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming this year calling for a Convention of the States to impose much needed fiscal discipline on the federal government.
According to a recent poll, 68% of Americans are in favor of a constitutional convention to propose amendments that would establish term limits, impose spending ceilings, and curb the power of the federal government.
Under the Constitution, states can exercise their rights under Article V for purposes of amending the constitution. For this to occur, two-thirds, or 34 of the 50 states are required to pass a resolution requesting a convention to take place. The first and last convention was in 1787 when states met originally to revise the Articles of Confederation. They soon realized that the best way forward was to create a whole new system of governance, which resulted in the U.S. Constitution.
Each of the resolutions from Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming call for an Article V Convention using similar language saying, “The federal government has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending … the federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent … the federal government has ceased to live under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States.”
Idaho’s Concurrent Resolution 10 includes three separate applications for a convention. They are for the purposes of proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution to balance the budget and impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit the terms of office for the federal government’s officials and members of Congress. The bill has passed out of committee with a do-pass recommendation. As early as 1979, and as recent as last year, Idaho has signed off on multiple applications urging for a constitutional convention to balance the federal budget and restrain spending in D.C.
Montana and Wyoming also have a very similar call to action. Wyoming’s Senate Joint Resolution 1 passed the Senate by a vote of 22-7 but failed in the House. Montana’s Senate Joint Resolution 4 passed through the judiciary committee and is moving on to its 2nd reading. Washington’s Senate Joint Memorial 8011 hasn’t received a public hearing yet.
The ongoing decisions made by federal officials to continue out-of-control spending have massive impacts on everyday Americans. The $36 trillion in federal debt equates to roughly $106,000 per person in the country. In 2024, the United States spent more on interest costs than on any federal program except Social Security. Money spent on interest payments for the federal debt is not available for infrastructure, defense, or other important national priorities. In 2020, the average interest rate on America’s debt was 2.344%, and it has grown to 3.211% as of this year.
Some skeptics believe that state delegates would carry out extreme action to the Constitution if a convention occurred. Because three-fourths of the states need to ratify any amendment, it would take 38 states to agree to any changes. This high threshold would keep a “runaway convention” from occurring.
According to polling, 88% of Americans support term limits, and 71% support restraint of power on the federal government. As Convention of States Action Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs Rita Peters says, “At a time when the two parties don’t agree much, this poll tells state legislators that the convention of states is a unifying issue.”
A common theme of these resolutions is reining in federal power and returning more control back to the states as was originally envisioned by the Constitution. The 10th Amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The fourth president of the U.S., James Madison, explained, “The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.”
Of course, there are many matters that seem to be in the gray area. But lawmakers all across the country can agree that the federal government has been encroaching on state powers too often.
These resolutions recognize states must take the lead and exercise their powers under Article V to amend the constitution to put needed fiscal restraints on out-of-control federal spending. At a time when the nation is largely divided on partisan issues, most Americans agree that federal spending and debt have gotten out of hand. State lawmakers now have the opportunity to come together to fix these issues, and put the country back on the path to fiscal discipline.
Sam Cardwell is a Policy Analyst for the Mountain States Policy Center, an independent research organization based in Idaho, Montana, Eastern Washington and Wyoming. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.
