House Joint Resolution 8 - Introduced HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 8 BY HAGENOW , BACON , BAUDLER , BAXTER , BEST , BRANHAGEN , BYRNES , CARLSON , COWNIE , DEYOE , DOLECHECK , DRAKE , FISHER , FORRISTALL , FRY , GASSMAN , GRASSLEY , HANUSA , HEARTSILL , HEIN , HIGHFILL , HOLT , HUSEMAN , JORGENSEN , KAUFMANN , KLEIN , KOESTER , KOOIKER , LANDON , MAXWELL , L. MILLER , MOMMSEN , NUNN , PAULSEN , PAUSTIAN , PETTENGILL , RIZER , ROGERS , SALMON , SANDS , SEXTON , SHEETS , SIECK , SODERBERG , STANERSON , R. TAYLOR , UPMEYER , VANDER LINDEN , WATTS , WILLS , WINDSCHITL , and WORTHAN HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution requesting the proposal of an amendment 1 to the Constitution of the United States imposing fiscal 2 restraints upon and limiting the power and jurisdiction of 3 the federal government. 4 WHEREAS, the founders of the Constitution of the United 5 States empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty 6 against future abuses of power by the federal government; and 7 WHEREAS, the federal government has created a crushing 8 national debt through improper and imprudent spending; and 9 WHEREAS, the federal government has invaded the legitimate 10 roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal 11 mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent; and 12 WHEREAS, the federal government has ceased to live under 13 a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United 14 TLSB 1860YH (8) 86 rn/rj

House Joint Resolution 8 - Introduced States; and 15 WHEREAS, it is the solemn duty of the states to protect 16 the liberty of our people, particularly for the generations 17 to come, by proposing amendments to the Constitution of the 18 United States through a convention of the states under Article 19 V of the Constitution for the purpose of restraining these and 20 related abuses of power; NOW THEREFORE, 21 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 22 TLSB 1860YH (8) 86 rn/rj

H.J.R. 8 That the Congress of the United States is hereby petitioned 1 to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United 2 States, for submission to the states for ratification, to 3 impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit 4 the federal government’s power and jurisdiction; and 5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, alternatively, pursuant to 6 Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the General 7 Assembly, as the Legislature of the State of Iowa, makes 8 application to the Congress of the United States to call a 9 convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing 10 an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, for 11 submission to the states for ratification, to impose fiscal 12 restraints on the federal government and limit the federal 13 government’s power and jurisdiction; and 14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That if, within sixty days after 15 the legislatures of two-thirds of the states make application 16 for such convention, Congress proposes and submits to the 17 states for ratification an amendment to the Constitution of the 18 United States which imposes fiscal restraints on the federal 19 government and limits the federal government’s power and 20 jurisdiction, then this application for a convention shall no 21 longer be of any force and effect; and 22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes 23 a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the 24 Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at 25 least two-thirds of the several states have made applications 26 for a similar convention under Article V, or the Congress has 27 proposed the amendments called for by this Joint Resolution, or 28 the General Assembly acts to withdraw this application; and 29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State 30 shall transmit certified copies of this Joint Resolution 31 to the President and Secretary of the United States 32 Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of 33 Representatives, the presiding officer in each house of the 34 legislature in each of the states in the union, and to the 35 -1- LSB 1860YH (8) 86 rn/rj 1/ 3

H.J.R. 8 members of Iowa’s congressional delegation requesting their 1 cooperation. 2 EXPLANATION 3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 5 This joint resolution constitutes a petition requesting the 6 United States Congress to amend the United States Constitution, 7 for submission to the states for ratification, to impose fiscal 8 restraints on the federal government and limit the federal 9 government’s power and jurisdiction. 10 Alternatively, the joint resolution provides that pursuant 11 to Article V of the United States Constitution, the Iowa 12 General Assembly applies to the United States Congress to 13 call a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of 14 proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution, for 15 submission to the states for ratification, to impose fiscal 16 restraints on the federal government and limit the federal 17 government’s power and jurisdiction. 18 Additionally, the joint resolution provides that if within 19 60 days after the legislatures of two-thirds of the states make 20 application for such convention, Congress proposes and submits 21 to the states for ratification an amendment to the Constitution 22 of the United States which imposes fiscal restraints on the 23 federal government and limits the federal government’s power 24 and jurisdiction, then the application for a convention shall 25 no longer be of any force and effect. 26 Further, the joint resolution provides that it shall serve 27 as a continuing application to call a constitutional convention 28 until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several 29 states have made application for a similar convention, or the 30 Congress has proposed the amendments called for by the joint 31 resolution, or the General Assembly withdraws the application. 32 Finally, the joint resolution requires the Secretary 33 of State to transmit certified copies of the resolution to 34 the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, 35 -2- LSB 1860YH (8) 86 rn/rj 2/ 3