Constitution Day Statement from Hon. David M. Walker

Former Comptroller General of the United States Chairman, Federal Fiscal Sustainability Foundation

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Hon. David M. Walker the Former Comptroller General of the United States and Chairman of the Federal Fiscal Sustainability Foundation issued the following statement today in observance of Constitution Day:

"Today is the 237th Anniversary of the delegates voting on the U.S. Constitution. Two years later it was ratified by enough states to become what arguably is the greatest political document in the history of mankind.

America is not perfect and it never will be. That is why the Constitution’s Preamble says “In order to form a more perfect Union.” Over the years we have taken steps to address inequities and other important issues. This includes adopting the Bill of Rights, abolishing slavery, granting women’s suffrage, and providing civil rights. However, there are areas where additional action is needed and that will require new Constitutional amendments. This includes the issues of fiscal responsibility, term limits, and campaign finance.

Over the years the federal government has grown dramatically, made too many unfunded promises, subsidized too many, lost control of the budget, and undercut states’ rights. We are again approaching the end of the federal government’s fiscal year (i.e., September 30) and it is clear that Congress will have to pass a Continuing Resolution to avoid a government shutdown. Shockingly, the Congress has only passed all the required appropriations bills by the beginning of the fiscal year four times in the last 73 years! That is unacceptable given that it is an express and enumerated annual responsibility for the Congress under the Constitution.

From a broader perspective, total federal debt/GDP has reached record levels and is rising rapidly. In addition, interest expense now exceeds defense and Medicare spending and is the fastest growing federal expense for which we get nothing! Statutory approaches to restore fiscal sanity have failed. The only thing that can restore fiscal sanity and sustainability is a Constitutional amendment.

Unfortunately, the failure of Congress to pass timely annual appropriations bills is not the only example of the failure of the Congress to perform their express and enumerated responsibilities under the Constitution. Specifically, under Article V of the Constitution, if two-thirds of the states (34) file applications for a Convention of States to propose one or more amendments, the Congress shall call the Convention. Shockingly, in 1979, thirty-nine states had active applications for a Convention to propose a fiscal responsibility amendment and yet Congress failed to act. HCR 24 sponsored by House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) is designed to bring light to this matter in an effort to right this wrong.

Congress needs to do one of two things. Either pass HCR 24 and call the Convention, or propose their own fiscal responsibility amendment. If this does not happen, stay tuned for litigation by the states to enforce their rights under Article V. Sadly, it appears that Congress will not discharge their express Constitutional duty and do the right thing for our collective future unless they are forced to do so. This is simply not acceptable for our republic and the world’s oldest democracy."


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Dan Rene
Dan Rene Communications
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