Coburn rallies support for Convention of States
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Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, left, shakes hands with N.C. Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Onslow, during a Convention of States Project citizen lobbying day Tuesday. Coburn is working to rally support for North Carolina's Convention of States resolution.
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RALEIGH — Former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn led a citizen lobbying effort Tuesday to rally legislative support for the Convention of States resolution.
Coburn accompanied state Rep. Bert Jones, R-Rockingham, and members of the Convention of States Project North Carolina to visit about 15 members from the N.C. House and 15 from the Senate. Boosters were promoting Jones’ House Bill 44, a resolution that would call for a national convention of the states to amend the U.S. Constitution.
“Our country’s in trouble — both fiscally, financially and legislatively,” Coburn said. “The only way we’re going to fix it is by returning the power to the people and to the states.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Onslow, met with the Convention of States contingent and tweeted a photo showing him shaking hands with Coburn.
“Everyone we met with today was truly receptive,” Coburn said.
Grassroots organizers are powering a nationwide effort to push Convention of States resolutions in at least 34 of the 50 states, triggering an Article V convention to propose constitutional amendments that would shift the balance of power away from the federal government.
The U.S. Constitution’s Article V authorizes a states’ convention upon application from two-thirds of the states. Delegates to the convention, who are called commissioners, would propose amendments that must then be ratified by at least three-fourths of the states, or 38.
Backers of the national movement say a balanced-budget amendment, term limits for congressmen and senators and state-level checks on federal authority would be proposed at the convention.
“Washington refuses to make the hard choices,” Coburn said. “They won’t make the hard choices, so it falls to the states. We’re working with legislators on how we fix the disease, not just treat the symptoms. I’m going around the country to try to get that done.”
The United States’ $19.3 trillion national debt weighs heavily on convention advocates’ mind. The movement is led by constitutional conservatives who believe in federalism, the principle that local and state governments should have a greater share of power and the federal government should shrink in size and scope.
“The obligation we have to our kids, that’s what we’re going to start addressing,” Coburn said.
All 27 constitutional amendments that have been ratified to date have been passed by Congress, but those pushing for a states’ convention say lawmakers aren’t likely to consider amendments that would limit their terms in office and place curbs on their spending power.
“They’re never going to amend it to fix the problems,” Coburn said of Congress. “All we are doing is following the recommended tool that our founding fathers gave us to fix our country.”
Coburn served as the junior senator from Oklahoma before resigning in 2014 and previously served in the U.S. House. He kept a campaign promise to hold no more than three Senate terms. Today, he remains active in conservative public policy circles.
Convention of States backers made the Tuesday lobbying push in an effort to have the resolution heard before the General Assembly’s April 27 crossover deadline. Bills must be passed in the chamber where they originated in by that date in order to cross over to the other chamber for a vote. Denying a floor vote before the deadline effectively kills legislation for the remainder of the session.
House Bill 44 was introduced Feb. 7 and assigned to the Judiciary I committee the next day, where it still sits awaiting a hearing. A Senate version sponsored by Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico, is stalled in that chamber’s Rules Committee.
cfriedman@wilsontimes.com | 265-7813
Coburn accompanied state Rep. Bert Jones, R-Rockingham, and members of the Convention of States Project North Carolina to visit about 15 members from the N.C. House and 15 from the Senate. Boosters were promoting Jones’ House Bill 44, a resolution that would call for a national convention of the states to amend the U.S. Constitution.
“Our country’s in trouble — both fiscally, financially and legislatively,” Coburn said. “The only way we’re going to fix it is by returning the power to the people and to the states.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Onslow, met with the Convention of States contingent and tweeted a photo showing him shaking hands with Coburn.
“Everyone we met with today was truly receptive,” Coburn said.
Grassroots organizers are powering a nationwide effort to push Convention of States resolutions in at least 34 of the 50 states, triggering an Article V convention to propose constitutional amendments that would shift the balance of power away from the federal government.
The U.S. Constitution’s Article V authorizes a states’ convention upon application from two-thirds of the states. Delegates to the convention, who are called commissioners, would propose amendments that must then be ratified by at least three-fourths of the states, or 38.
Backers of the national movement say a balanced-budget amendment, term limits for congressmen and senators and state-level checks on federal authority would be proposed at the convention.
“Washington refuses to make the hard choices,” Coburn said. “They won’t make the hard choices, so it falls to the states. We’re working with legislators on how we fix the disease, not just treat the symptoms. I’m going around the country to try to get that done.”
The United States’ $19.3 trillion national debt weighs heavily on convention advocates’ mind. The movement is led by constitutional conservatives who believe in federalism, the principle that local and state governments should have a greater share of power and the federal government should shrink in size and scope.
“The obligation we have to our kids, that’s what we’re going to start addressing,” Coburn said.
All 27 constitutional amendments that have been ratified to date have been passed by Congress, but those pushing for a states’ convention say lawmakers aren’t likely to consider amendments that would limit their terms in office and place curbs on their spending power.
“They’re never going to amend it to fix the problems,” Coburn said of Congress. “All we are doing is following the recommended tool that our founding fathers gave us to fix our country.”
Coburn served as the junior senator from Oklahoma before resigning in 2014 and previously served in the U.S. House. He kept a campaign promise to hold no more than three Senate terms. Today, he remains active in conservative public policy circles.
Convention of States backers made the Tuesday lobbying push in an effort to have the resolution heard before the General Assembly’s April 27 crossover deadline. Bills must be passed in the chamber where they originated in by that date in order to cross over to the other chamber for a vote. Denying a floor vote before the deadline effectively kills legislation for the remainder of the session.
House Bill 44 was introduced Feb. 7 and assigned to the Judiciary I committee the next day, where it still sits awaiting a hearing. A Senate version sponsored by Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico, is stalled in that chamber’s Rules Committee.
cfriedman@wilsontimes.com | 265-7813
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