SJR21 applies to “call a convention” under Article V of the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of proposing an amendment to set term limits on members of Congress.
The Senate passed SJR21 on January 27, 2025, by a vote of 31 to 18. We have assigned pluses to the nays because term limits conflict with the right of the American people to choose their representatives. Moreover, efforts to “call a convention” under Article V must be resisted. A constitutional convention (Con-Con) would have the ability to make major changes to the U.S. Constitution, or even completely rewrite it. Instead of risking the danger of a “runaway convention,” which could act as a “Trojan horse” to destroy many of the Constitution’s limitations on government power, state legislators should simply uphold their oath of office. In other words, the problem is not the Constitution, but lawmakers’ failure to follow it. Article V was designed to correct potential errors or defects in the Constitution, not to “misconstrue or abuse its powers.” Whenever the federal government assumes undelegated powers, in violation of the 10th Amendment, nullification of such lawless acts is the proper remedy. State legislators should use Article VI to enforce the Constitution, rather than use Article V to alter or abolish it.
