Term limits supporters always wonder “how can we get a constitutional amendment to term limit Congress if Congress — which won’t limit its own power — controls the amending process?”
America’s visionary founders planned for this problem and equipped our Constitution with a solution. The Article V Convention allows the American people to term limit Congress without needing congressional approval. This process, which comes not from Washington but the states, was designed specifically to rein in abuses of power coming from members of the House and Senate.
It works like this:
1. Two-thirds of state legislatures (34) must pass bills applying for a convention to consider only amendments for congressional term limits.
2. Congress is compelled by law to call the convention, which includes delegates chosen solely by their respective states.
3. The convention reports out an amendment for congressional term limits.
4. The amendment must be ratified by either three-quarters (38) of state legislatures or state conventions.
Now is the time for we the people to use this gift from our framers. U.S. Term Limits launched its fight for Term Limits Convention applications in state legislatures across this nation. We won’t stop until the job is done.
Article V, U.S. Constitution
* * * * * * * * * *
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, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.