Gov. Bob McDonnell sent a resolution to the General Assembly last Thursday requesting a constitutional convention for the adoption of a federal balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge, is carrying the resolution, which further calls on the United States Congress to pass the proposed amendment.
Motivated by the ever-increasing federal deficit, McDonnell introduced the resolution in hopes of reining in excessive national spending, McDonnell spokesperson Jeff Caldwell said.
"At the heart of this is the governor's feeling that the federal government should not be allowed to construct a budget that spends more than it takes in each year," Caldwell said. "States are under the legal obligation to pass budgets where expenditures do not exceed revenues, and the governor feels very strongly that Virginia and the other states should compel the federal government to live within its means as well."
Although McDonnell, Cline and potentially many others may wholeheartedly support an amendment of this kind, it will take much more than passionate belief for the idea to become reality, Prof. Larry Sabato of the Center for Politics said in an e-mail.
"I suspect that the vast majority [of those sponsoring the amendment] believe that this is a necessary and proper change," Sabato said. But [they] are well aware of the mountainous odds against it. The chances of a constitutional convention any time soon are somewhere between zero and nada."
Legislators may face challenges in attempting to amend the Constitution, but the consequences of inaction are far too dire to be ignored, McDonnell said in a statement.
"It is critical that Washington gets its fiscal house in order and reduces spending to ensure the future prosperity and security of our great nation," McDonnell said. "The irresponsible rate of spending in Washington will place an undue burden on our children and grandchildren who will pay the price for the reckless actions being taken at the federal level."
Cline expressed similar concerns about the growing national debt, according to the same press release.
"The resolution I am introducing today requesting a constitutional convention on a balanced budget amendment is a step in the right direction toward reining in federal government spending and tackling the federal debt," Cline said.
The process of convening a constitutional convention and subsequently ratifying an amendment is so difficult that it has not been attempted before, Sabato said.
"Either two-thirds of the states have to petition Congress for such a convention
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