The Tennessee Senate State and Local Government Committee has scheduled a hearing on term-limits Con-Con resolution HJR 5 for Tuesday, January 16. The hearing will be at 1:30 p.m. ET, and will be in Senate Hearing Room I. HJR 5 has already passed the House, so if it passes the Senate, this disastrous resolution will be fully enacted.
We at The Jackson Press encourages you to attend this hearing and to testify against this dangerous resolution on Tuesday, January 16.
Additionally, the JBS encourages you to call the House offices of the members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee and urge them to oppose and vote NO on HJR 5. Listed below are the names and phone numbers of the committee members:
- Chair Sen. Richard Briggs (R): 1-615-741-1766, sen.richard.briggs@capitol.tn.gov
- Vice Chair Sen. Page Walley (R): 1-615-741-2368, sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov
- Vice Chair Sen. Mark Pody (R): 1-615-741-2421, sen.mark.pody@capitol.tn.gov
- Sen. Ed Jackson (R): 1-615-741-1810, sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov
- Sen. Adam Lowe (R): 1-615-741-1946, sen.adam.lowe@capitol.tn.gov
- Sen. John Stevens (R): 1-615-741-4576, sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov
- Sen. Ken Yager (R): 1-615-741-1449, sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov
- Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D): 1-615-741-3291, sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov
- Sen. Sara Kyle (D): 1-615-741-4167, sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov
HJR 5 claims it is “limited to” congressional term limits. However, any Article V convention, no matter how well intentioned, could lead to a runaway convention that would reverse many of the Constitution’s limitations on government power and interference.
Furthermore, term limits would do nothing to limit the federal government or improve our representation. For example, they would throw out the best congressmen along with the worst. Term limits ignore the most serious problems our nation faces, including fiscally-irresponsible policies and lack of adherence to the Constitution. In fact, we already have term limits — elections — while formal term limits on the U.S. president, by contrast, have failed to rein in the executive branch.
In a December 30, 2022 tweet, Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) correctly noted that:
Repeal of the [16th and 17th amendments and the Federal Reserve Act] would obviate any need or want for a term limit amendment and a balanced budget amendment.
The document our founders gave us was genius, and we tamper with it at our own peril.
Instead, the Tennessee General Assembly should consider Article VI and nullify unconstitutional laws.
Furthermore, state lawmakers should also consider rescinding any and all previously passed Article V convention applications to Congress, regardless of the desired amendment(s). Passing rescission resolutions will help prevent aggregating past Article V convention applications with those from other states to force Congress to call a convention.
Above all, urge your state representative and senator to oppose HJR 5, and all other pro-Article V convention resolutions and to instead consider nullification as a safe and constitutional means to limit government.
