Over the past ten years or so, well-intentioned people have been sending me a chain message on Facebook promoting a proposed 28th Amendment, and calling for an Article V Convention to get it passed. It is also sent in an E-mail, and on various websites. It usually suggests that readers of the message send it to 15 or 20 of their contacts. I am unable to track the message’s origin, but it has been around for a number of years. I urge folks not to fall for it.
The message claims that governors of 35 states have suites against the U.S. government for imposing unlawful burdens upon their states. The truth is that governors do not file suits-state attorney generals do for numerous reasons. The message also claims that members of Congress can retire after one term and that their children and staffers don’t have to pay their student loans. These are outright false.
While the proposed amendment sounds enticing, promoting an Article V Convention which, if called, may likely rewrite or restructure our Constitution. My suggestion to folks who get the message is to reply with some info on the dangers of an Article V Convention. Camp Constitution has plenty of resources on the subject including this flyer: https://campconstitution.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/COS-Facts-Flyer-112017.pdf and this interview of Robert Brown:
This is one of the most recent versions of the message:
“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the Citizens of the United States …”
This is an idea that should be passed around, regardless of political party.
Congressional Reform Act of 2017
1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office. And, no more perks go with them.
2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as ALL Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people (i.e. NO MORE INSIDER TRADING!!!).
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts by and for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor and privledge NOT a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work … not get all kinds of freebies.
Just hold your finger down then hit forward and send it to everyone you know. Let’s help get the country straightened out
Please read proposed 28th amendment
Please Read, and forward. This won’t take long to read!
28th Amendment, 35 States and Counting.
It will take you less than a minute to read this. If you agree, please pass it on. It’s an idea whose time has come to deal with this self-serving situation:
OUR PRESENT SITUATION !
Children of Congress members do not have to pay back their college student loans.
Staffers of Congress family members are also exempt from having to pay back student loans.
Members of Congress can retire at full pay after only one term.
Members of Congress have exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed, under which ordinary citizens must live.
For example, they are exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment.
And as the latest example, they have exempted themselves from Healthcare Reform, in all of its aspects.
We must not tolerate an elite class of such people, elected as public servants and then putting themselves above the law.
I truly don’t care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever. The self-serving must stop.
Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon their states. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.
If each person that receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days most people in The United States of America will have the mess”
Tell the folks sending you the above that they need to stop forwarding this erroneous message and say no to an Article V Convention.
Designed by Eric Conover.