Draft bill for Virginia Assembly would place limits on US debt and war powers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond, Virginia, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) March 20, 2011 -- The draft language of a bill for the Virginia General Assembly:

WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution states ""The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof…"; and

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has allowed the federal government to accumulate historic debt attributable to the public; and

WHEREAS, this public debt endangers the solvency of the United States; and

WHEREAS, this public debt carries a material financing risk to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the other states, territories, and municipalities; and

WHEREAS, the Congress has failed to adopt a balanced budget amendment or other reasonable limits on the growth of public deficits; and

WHEREAS, the public debt and interest on the public debt reduces the flexibility of the United States to react to all manner of man-made and natural disasters; and

WHEREAS, the public debt opens the United States to influence by foreign agents, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commonwealth of Virginia hereby applies to the Congress of the United States to call an amendment convention pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution for the purpose of proposing a constitutional amendment that limits the size of the public debt as a percentage of the economy of the United States. The Virginia Delegation to such convention, when called, shall propose the following amendment:

"Congress shall ensure the federal debt remains lower than thirty percent of the trailing five year average gross domestic product of the United States, except during times of congressionally-declared war where the Congress and the President may authorize temporary annual debt ceilings."; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That this resolution is revoked and withdrawn, nullified, and superseded to the same effect as if it had never been passed, and retroactive to the date of passage, if it is used for the purpose of calling a convention or used in support of conducting a convention to amend the Constitution of the United States for any purpose other than consideration of the amendment proposed in this resolution; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Commonwealth of Virginia reserves its right to add future amendments as the legislature deems warranted to this application; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That delegates to such convention, when called, be selected according to procedures established by the legislatures of the several states; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter.

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