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House Joint Resolution 3 - IntroducedA Bill ForA Joint Resolution 1applying for an Article V convention to
2propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United
3States that imposes specified limitations on the members of
4Congress, and requesting Congress to similarly propose such
5an amendment.
6WHEREAS, all members of Congress have a responsibility to
7serve professionally for the benefit of American citizens;and
8WHEREAS, members of Congress should not be able to vote to
9raise their own compensation; and
10WHEREAS, members of Congress should not seek personal gain
11from their service;and
12WHEREAS, members of Congress must abide by all laws that
13Congress imposes on American citizens;and
14WHEREAS, the founders of the United States envisioned
15serving Congress as an honor and privilege rather than as a
16career;NOW THEREFORE,
17BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
18That the Congress of the United States is hereby petitioned
19to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United
20States, for submission to the states for ratification, to
21ensure that Congress shall make no law that applies to the
22citizens of the United States that does not apply equally
23to the members of Congress, and that Congress shall make no
24law that applies to the members of Congress that does not
25apply equally to the citizens of the United States; to remove
26all forms of tenure, pension, and other benefits retained by
27members of Congress after they leave office; to require that
28all members of Congress past, present, and future participate
29in social security and transfer all funds in the congressional
30retirement fund to the social security system; to require
31members of Congress to purchase their own retirement plans;
32to limit increases in congressional pay to the lesser of the
33increase in the consumer price index, or three percent; to
34eliminate the current congressional health care system and
35require members of Congress to participate in the same health
36care systems available to members of the American public;
37and to void all contracts with past and present members of
38Congress;and
39BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That pursuant to Article V of the
40Constitution of the United States, the General Assembly, as
41the Legislature of the State of Iowa, makes application to
42the Congress of the United States to call a convention for
43the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing the foregoing
44amendment to the Constitution of the United States for
45submission to the states for ratification; and
46BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
47a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
48Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
49least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
50for a similar convention under Article V, or the General
51Assembly acts to withdraw this application; and
52BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State
53shall transmit certified copies of this Joint Resolution
54to the President and Secretary of the United States
55Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of
56Representatives, the presiding officer in each house of the
57legislature in each of the states in the union, and to the
58members of Iowa’s congressional delegation requesting their
59cooperation.
1EXPLANATION
2The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4This joint resolution provides that pursuant to Article V
5of the United States Constitution, the Iowa General Assembly
6both petitions the United States Congress to propose an
7amendment to the United States Constitution on its own and
8applies the United States Congress to call a convention for the
9specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the
10United States Constitution, for submission to the states for
11ratification, to impose certain limits on and remove certain
12privileges from members of Congress.
13The proposed amendment to the United States Constitution
14would subject members of Congress equally to all laws that
15apply to citizens of the United States, remove benefits that
16members of Congress receive after leaving office, require that
17all past, present, and future members of Congress participate
18in social security, require members of Congress to purchase
19retirement plans, limit congressional pay increases, eliminate
20the current congressional health care system, and void all
21contracts with past and present members of Congress.
22The joint resolution provides that it shall serve as a
23continuing application to call a constitutional convention
24until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several
25states have made application for a similar convention, or the
26Iowa General Assembly acts to withdraw the application.
27Finally, the joint resolution requires the Secretary
28of State to transmit certified copies of the resolution
29to the President and Secretary of the United States
30Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House
31of Representatives, the presiding officer in each house of
32the legislature in each of the states in the union, and the
33members of Iowa’s congressional delegation requesting their
34cooperation.
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2propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United
3States that imposes specified limitations on the members of
4Congress, and requesting Congress to similarly propose such
5an amendment.
6WHEREAS, all members of Congress have a responsibility to
7serve professionally for the benefit of American citizens;and
8WHEREAS, members of Congress should not be able to vote to
9raise their own compensation; and
10WHEREAS, members of Congress should not seek personal gain
11from their service;and
12WHEREAS, members of Congress must abide by all laws that
13Congress imposes on American citizens;and
14WHEREAS, the founders of the United States envisioned
15serving Congress as an honor and privilege rather than as a
16career;NOW THEREFORE,
17BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
18That the Congress of the United States is hereby petitioned
19to propose an amendment to the Constitution of the United
20States, for submission to the states for ratification, to
21ensure that Congress shall make no law that applies to the
22citizens of the United States that does not apply equally
23to the members of Congress, and that Congress shall make no
24law that applies to the members of Congress that does not
25apply equally to the citizens of the United States; to remove
26all forms of tenure, pension, and other benefits retained by
27members of Congress after they leave office; to require that
28all members of Congress past, present, and future participate
29in social security and transfer all funds in the congressional
30retirement fund to the social security system; to require
31members of Congress to purchase their own retirement plans;
32to limit increases in congressional pay to the lesser of the
33increase in the consumer price index, or three percent; to
34eliminate the current congressional health care system and
35require members of Congress to participate in the same health
36care systems available to members of the American public;
37and to void all contracts with past and present members of
38Congress;and
39BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That pursuant to Article V of the
40Constitution of the United States, the General Assembly, as
41the Legislature of the State of Iowa, makes application to
42the Congress of the United States to call a convention for
43the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing the foregoing
44amendment to the Constitution of the United States for
45submission to the states for ratification; and
46BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this application constitutes
47a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the
48Constitution of the United States until the legislatures of at
49least two-thirds of the several states have made applications
50for a similar convention under Article V, or the General
51Assembly acts to withdraw this application; and
52BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State
53shall transmit certified copies of this Joint Resolution
54to the President and Secretary of the United States
55Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of
56Representatives, the presiding officer in each house of the
57legislature in each of the states in the union, and to the
58members of Iowa’s congressional delegation requesting their
59cooperation.
1EXPLANATION
2The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4This joint resolution provides that pursuant to Article V
5of the United States Constitution, the Iowa General Assembly
6both petitions the United States Congress to propose an
7amendment to the United States Constitution on its own and
8applies the United States Congress to call a convention for the
9specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the
10United States Constitution, for submission to the states for
11ratification, to impose certain limits on and remove certain
12privileges from members of Congress.
13The proposed amendment to the United States Constitution
14would subject members of Congress equally to all laws that
15apply to citizens of the United States, remove benefits that
16members of Congress receive after leaving office, require that
17all past, present, and future members of Congress participate
18in social security, require members of Congress to purchase
19retirement plans, limit congressional pay increases, eliminate
20the current congressional health care system, and void all
21contracts with past and present members of Congress.
22The joint resolution provides that it shall serve as a
23continuing application to call a constitutional convention
24until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several
25states have made application for a similar convention, or the
26Iowa General Assembly acts to withdraw the application.
27Finally, the joint resolution requires the Secretary
28of State to transmit certified copies of the resolution
29to the President and Secretary of the United States
30Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House
31of Representatives, the presiding officer in each house of
32the legislature in each of the states in the union, and the
33members of Iowa’s congressional delegation requesting their
34cooperation.
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