WASHINGTON — GOP activists want to trigger a constitutional convention with the goal of enacting a federal balanced budget amendment, potentially requiring massive cuts to government spending.
Super said Walker, in his presentation, ignored the role the $2 trillion tax cut passed by a GOP-controlled Congress at the end of 2017 played in deepening federal deficits.
He also warned that convening a constitutional convention could have unintended consequences. He pointed to the 1787 convention that was called to amend the Articles of Confederation but resulted in a whole new national constitution.
“Once you have the convention, it is subject to nobody’s control,” Super said. “It makes its own agenda. It makes its own voting rules that decides how long it lasts and how far it goes.”
Arn Pearson, executive director of the progressive watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy, also warned that a so-called runaway convention could be called to consider one subject but then decide to make other big constitutional changes.
Republicans control 60 percent of the state legislative chambers, potentially giving them a numerical advantage in selecting who would be delegates.
“If their ploy succeeds, the field will be thrown wide open for constitutional rewrites,” Pearson said. “Right-wing mega donors will spend millions to advance a sweeping agenda to limit federal powers. It’s not going to be an exercise in popular democracy.”