ARTICLE V CONVENTION OF STATES

Pocket Guide
The Founders’ Constitutional Plan for
We the People to Secure America’s Future
 Pocket Guide
The Founders’ Constitutional Plan for
We the People to Secure America’s Future
 06
CONTENTS
01 01     Who Decides?
A special message from COSA President Mark Meckler
04      Article V of the U.S. Constitution
Find out what the Founders had to say about COS
06     The Problem
Why Washington won’t let go of power
11      Support for a Convention of States

18
Endorsements from notable leaders
18      Answers to Common Questions
Find the information you need quickly
23      Overcoming Objections From the Opposition
Cut through the misinformation - get the facts here
29      Convention of States Model Application
See the text of the Convention of States application
30      Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States
Potential amendments to be debated at the convention
32      Convention of States Simulation
What happened at the historic convention simulation?
34      About Convention of States Action (COSA)
The organization and growing grassroots movement

36
36      Get Involved in Making History
What you can do to get involved
40      Convention of States Petition
Read and sign the petition to show your support

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Who
Decides?
A MESSAGE FROM COSA
PRESIDENT MARK MECKLER
Who gets to decide what’s best for you and your family?
Should you have the power to decide? Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States Action

Or should some out-of-touch bureaucrat in Washington,

D.C., have the power to decide?
Instead of focusing on the better question: Who should decide?
It’s time we shift the national conversation away from
Should the government decide what to do about your
what government should do to “fix” our problems. It’s time
health care, or should you and your doctor decide? Should
we decide for ourselves whether the federal government
should be involved at all in matters that affect us personally. D.C. bureaucrats decide what to do about education, or
should you, your spouse, and your children’s teachers
No matter the political issue of the day, the establishment decide? Should nine Supreme Court Justices decide what
in Washington loves to deliberate on what they will do. constitutes a marriage, or should you, your community, and
your state decide?
They want the American people to ponder, “What will
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they decide?” If you’re anything like me, the answer is obvious. It’s the same
answer our Founding Fathers gave when they drafted the
What will Congress decide about health care? Taxes? Constitution: we the people should decide, not some far-off,
Education? Fiscal responsibility? disconnected government run by out-of-touch elites.

Who Decides? CONVENTION OF STATES

 Article V
The truth is the Washington establishment will never, ever
limit its own power. We just can’t rely on the politicians who
got us into this mess to get us out of it.

We need a solution that will let us go around the OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
Washington political establishment and rein in the out-of-
control federal government, permanently.
Article V of the Constitution of the United States reads as
Here at Convention of States Action, we are implementing
follows:
the solution with the help of a vast family of grassroots
patriots just like you.
“The Congress, whenever two thirds of both
Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose
This solution was hidden in plain sight in Article V of the
Constitution, and it’s our best and last chance to take Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the
the power back from the out-of-control politicians in Application of the Legislatures of two
Washington and safeguard our liberty once and for all. thirds of the several States, shall call a
Convention for proposing Amendments,
The booklet you hold in your hands contains our Founding which, in either Case, shall be valid to all
Fathers’ antidote and cure for what ails our country. Intents and Purposes, as Part of this
Constitution, when ratified by the
Take it, read it, and use it as you talk with your friends Legislatures of three fourths of the
and family members about this constitutional solution to several States, or by Conventions in three
restore our great nation. fourths thereof, as the one or the other
Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the
Yours in the fight, 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
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Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first
Mark Meckler Article; and that no State, without its
President Consent, shall be deprived of its equal
Convention of States Action Suffrage in the Senate.”

CONVENTION OF STATES Article V of the U.S. Constitution

 The Problem
The history of Article V from the 1787 Convention: “On
September 15, as the Convention was reviewing the
revisions made by the Committee of Style, George Mason
expressed opposition to the provisions limiting the power
to propose amendments to Congress. According to the WHY A CONVENTION
Convention records, Mason thought that ‘no Amendment
of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people, OF STATES?
if the Government should become oppressive, as he verily
believed would be the case.’ In response, Gouverneur Washington, D.C., will never voluntarily relinquish its own
Morris and Elbridge Gerry made a motion to amend the power, no matter who is elected. The only rational
article to reintroduce language requiring that a convention conclusion is this: unless some political force
be called when two-thirds of the States applied for an outside of Washington, D.C., intervenes,
amendment.” [30 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy the federal government will continue
1005, 1007 (2007)] to bankrupt this nation, embezzle the
legitimate authority of the states, and
destroy the liberty of the people.
Rather than securing the
blessings of liberty for future
generations, Washington,
D.C., is on a path that will
enslave our children and
grandchildren to the debts
George Mason, Founding Father of the past.
Alexis de Tocqueville,
French Historian
Thank God that the Founders were wise enough to give us We see four major abuses
the second clause of Article V. Their decision was unanimous. against the people by the
The Framers had very little debate about this—and they federal government. These
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debated almost everything—because they knew human abuses are not mere instances of bad
nature. They had experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical policy. The federal government has been subjecting us to
government. They foresaw a time in the future when such a “soft tyranny” in which the government does not (yet)
mechanism would be necessary. Now is that time. shatter all men’s wills but regularly “softens, bends, and

CONVENTION OF STATES The Problem

 guides” them. If we do nothing to halt these abuses, we run confiscated everything, it wouldn’t cover the mountain of
the risk of becoming nothing more than “a flock of timid debt that we have already accumulated!
and industrious animals, of which the government is the
shepherd.” (Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 3.2 - The Regulatory Crisis
1840)
The federal bureaucracy has placed a regulatory burden upon
3.1 - The Spending and Debt Crisis businesses that is complex, conflicted, and crushing. Little
accountability exists when agencies—rather than Congress—
enact the real substance of the law. Current research
shows the annual cost of compliance at about $2 trillion,
roughly equal to all income and corporate taxes combined!
Worse, the growth-killing effects of regulation have shrunk
economic growth by 25 percent, or $4 trillion per year.

3.3 - Congressional Attacks on State Sovereignty

Even if the government taxed Congress has turned state legislatures into their
at 100 percent and confiscated regional agencies rather than respecting them as truly
everything, it wouldn’t cover the independent republican governments.
mountain of debt that we have
already accumulated!
For years, Congress has been using federal grants to
keep the states under its control. Combining these grants
with federal mandates (which are rarely fully funded),
America’s $22 trillion national debt is staggering, but it
Congress has turned state legislatures into their regional
only tells a part of the story. Under standard accounting
agencies rather than respecting them as truly independent
practices, the federal government actually owes well over
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republican governments.
$100 trillion more in vested Social Security benefits and
other programs. The government cannot tax its way out
A radical social agenda and an invasion of the rights of
of debt. Even if the government taxed at 100 percent and
the people accompany all of this. While significant efforts

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 have been made to combat this social erosion, these trends for us to use to fix the mess in D.C.
defy some of the most important founding principles of
federalism and self-governance. Article V of the Constitution is our best chance – and our
last chance – to take the power back from the out-of-
3.4 - Federal Takeover of the Decision-Making Process control politicians and bureaucrats in Washington and
safeguard our liberty once and for all.
The Founders believed that the structures of a limited
And when the Convention of States convenes, Congress
government would provide the greatest protection of
and the Washington bureaucracy will be powerless to stop it.
liberty. Not only were there to be checks and balances
between the branches of the federal government, power
was to be delineated between the states and federal
government. The latter was to exercise only those “few and
defined” powers specifically granted in the Constitution,
while the states’ powers were left “broad and undefined.” We need to realize that the
structure of decision-making
Collusion among decision-makers in Washington, D.C., has
replaced these checks and balances. The federal judiciary matters. Who decides what
supports Congress and the White House in their ever- the law will be is even
escalating attack upon the jurisdiction of the 50 states.
more important than
We need to realize that the structure of decision-making what is decided.
matters. Who decides what the law will be is even more
important than what is decided. The protection of liberty
requires a strict adherence to the principle that the power
of the federal government is limited and enumerated.
Washington, D.C., does not believe this principle, as
evidenced by an unbroken practice of expanding the
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boundaries of federal power.

The problems are big, but we have a solution as big as those

problems. Article V gives us the tool the Founders intended

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Support Ben
FOR A CONVENTION OF STATES
Shapiro
Mark “We have to hem in the power of Congress and, in many cases,
the power of the Executive, before it is too late. Can you
imagine the looks on the faces of politicians when they realize

Levin they are now legally barred from controlling your life and they
can’t just live in those offices forever? Calling a Convention
of States is the only way to get the job done. Sign the petition
and get involved. It’s an important cause.”
“I have wholeheartedly endorsed the Convention of States
Project. I serve on its Legal Board of Reference because they

Pete
propose a solution as big as the problem.”

Senator Hegseth
Rand Paul “The leviathan of today’s federal government continues to
grow unabated, pushing the people further away from our
Founder’s vision of self-governance. The Convention of States
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“I support the Convention of States Project to restore the Project is the only constitutional pathway for citizens to save
original constitutional limits on federal power by calling a our Republic by restoring it to her citizens. Article V of our
limited Convention to propose amendments to rein in our out- Constitution underscores the duty of active citizenship and I
of-control federal government.” am proud to stand with millions of volunteers in this effort.”

Support for a Convention of States CONVENTION OF STATES

 Lt. Col. (Ret.) Sen. Tom
Allen West Coburn, M.D.
“Thank goodness the Founders had the wisdom to provide us “There is not enough political will in Washington to fix the real
with Article V of the Constitution, which gives us the right and problems facing the country. It’s time for the people to take
power to hold an Amending Convention for the purpose of back their country. The plan put forth by Convention of States
proposing amendments to restrain the scope and power of the is a great way to do just that by using the process the Founders
federal government... Under the system of federalism, I support gave us for reigning in the federal government.”
the efforts to gather a constitutional Convention of States
consistent with Article V and honoring the 10th Amendment.”

Sean Dr. James

Hannity Dobson
“There’s a solution in our Constitution. We have the power to call “I encourage every American to visit [Link]
a Convention of States to restrain the size, the power, the scope, and add your name to a growing list of citizens calling for a return
and the jurisdiction of the federal government. If you’re serious of federal power back to the states. Let us raise our collective
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about saving the nation, this is the best way to do it. Join the voices and challenge the entrenched powers in Washington by
constitutional revolution with Convention of States Project.” finally, and for the first time, calling for a Convention of States.”

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 (Ret.) Sen. Michael
Jim DeMint Farris
“Americans are sick and tired of the double-talk coming out of “Only a Convention of States will give us effective solutions
Washington. So am I. After serving in the House, the Senate, to the abuse of power in Washington, D.C. It is our moral
and as President of the Heritage Foundation, I’ve finally obligation to protect liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”
realized the most important truth of our time: Washington,
D.C., will never fix itself. Article V is the only solution.”

Charlie
David Kirk
Barton “The Founding Fathers gave us a foolproof way to rein in
an over reaching federal government in Article V. If young
“I support an Article V Convention of the States. It is time conservatives want to take back our country, they will join me
for states to go on the offensive to limit the overreach of in supporting the Convention of States Project. A Convention
the federal government... I urge you to support all of the of States is the only constitutional way to limit the power and
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Constitution, and thus the efforts of the Convention of jurisdiction of the federal government and anyone who wants
States to pass their extremely well-thought-out and strategic to give power back to the people will support this growing
legislation in your home state and thus join us in a call to movement. After all, as we always say at Turning Point, ‘Big
restore our constitutional republic.” Government Sucks,’ and it’s not going to shrink itself.”

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Answers
OTHER NOTABLE SUPPORTERS

• Sheriff David Clarke • David Horowitz

• Lt. Col. Bill Cowan • Lawrence Jones TO COMMON QUESTIONS
• Ken Cuccinelli • Sen. Marco Rubio
• Rep. Jeff Duncan • Dr. Ben Carson
• Sen. Ron Johnson • Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee 6.1 - Why Do We Need to Call a Convention of
• Atty. Andrew McCarthy • Fmr. Gov. Jeb Bush States?
• Fmr. Gov. Sarah Palin • Sen. Jim Talent
• Economist Thomas Sowell • Fmr. Gov. Bobby Jindal Washington, D.C., is broken. The federal government is
• Atty. Mat Staver • Rep. Louie Gohmert spending this country into the ground, seizing power from
• Steve Hilton • Morton Blackwell the states and taking liberty from the people. It’s time
• Gov. Greg Abbott • Randy E. Barnett for we the people to take a stand against tyranny with a
• Judge Andrew Napolitano • Charles J. Cooper coordinated, nationwide effort to curb the unrestrained and
• James O’Keefe • Dr. John C. Eastman growing power of the federal government. The Founders
• Sen. Ben Sasse • Robert P. George gave us this emergency tool to fix Washington, D.C. We
• Pete Coors • C. Boyden Gray must use it before it is too late. Even when good people
• Gov. Ron DeSantis • Andrew McCarthy go to D.C. as elected officials, they lack the power to fix
• Steve Deace the structural problems now destroying our country. No
change in personnel can fix a structural problem. Only a
Convention of States has the power to repair the damage
and halt the federal government from eroding the liberties
of the sovereign citizens further.

6.2 - What is a Convention of States?

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A Convention of States is a convention called by the state
legislatures for the purpose of proposing amendments to
the Constitution. They are given power to do this under
Article V of the Constitution (see text, page 4). It is

CONVENTION OF STATES Answers to Common Questions

 not a constitutional convention. It cannot throw out the duty is to name the place and the time for the Convention.
Constitution, because it receives its authority from the If it fails to exercise this power reasonably, the states
Constitution. A Convention of States can only propose themselves can and will override congressional inaction.
amendments that fit within the topic of the applications
adopted by the state legislatures. So, for example, a 6.5 - How Do States Choose Their Delegates?
Convention that is called to limit the power of the federal
government could not propose an amendment to reduce States are free to develop their own selection process for
our rights and expand federal power. choosing their delegates – properly called “commissioners.”
Historically, the most common method used was an
6.3 - How Do the State Legislatures Call a election by a joint session of both chambers of the state
Convention of States? legislature. This is true federalism in action. Each state has
the power to choose its own commissioners in its own way.
Thirty-four state legislatures must pass a resolution in each
chamber of their legislatures (called an “application”) calling
for a Convention of States. The Convention of States
application does not need to be signed by the Governor
to be effective. As soon as both chambers of the state Each state has the power to
legislature pass the application, that state becomes one of choose its own commissioners
the required 34 states calling for a Convention. In order for in its own way.
the applications to be aggregated (counted together towards
the 34-state threshold), they must all cover the same topic
or set of topics for a Convention. The Convention of States
model application is included on page 29.

6.4 - Can Congress Block a Convention of

States? 6.6 - What Happens at a Convention of States?
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No. As long as each of the 34 states applies for a Each state’s delegation participates in discussing, drafting,
Convention that deals with the same issue (e.g., limiting and voting on amendment proposals germane to the
the power and jurisdiction of the federal government), topic(s) stated in the 34 applications that triggered the
Congress must call the Convention. Congress’s ministerial Convention. According to historical precedent, each state

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 has one vote at the convention. Amendments sent to the 6.9 - Is a Convention of States Safe?
states are merely suggestions, and have no authority until
ratified by the states. Yes. The convention’s authority is limited to that conferred
upon it by the state legislatures. Furthermore, the
6.7 - How are Proposed Amendments Ratified? ratification process ensures that amendments that do
not reflect the desires of the American people will not be
Thirty-eight states must ratify any proposed amendments passed. (Read more detailed responses to specific objections
to a Convention of States on page 23 of this booklet.)
before they become part of the Constitution. Each
proposed amendment is ratified separately by the states
even if proposed as a package (like the Bill of Rights).
Ratification may be done by state legislatures or by state
ratification conventions, which represent the people
more directly. Historically, ratification has been by state Interstate conventions were common during
legislatures, with the exception of the Twenty-First the Founding era, and the procedures and
Amendment, which was ratified by state conventions. rules for such conventions were widely known.

6.8 - How Do We Know How a Convention of

States Will Work?

Interstate conventions were common during the Founding

era, and the procedures and rules for such conventions
were widely known. Additionally, there have been many
interstate conventions since the Founding era, all operating
on similar rules. We can know how a Convention of
States would operate by studying the historical record.
The recent Convention of States Simulation (held in

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Williamsburg, Virginia, in September of 2016) proved that
these well-established procedures would be followed by
any Convention of States held today (see page 32 for a
summary of that event).

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Overcoming
has pointed out, “There are far more checks on a runaway
convention than on a runaway Congress.”

Objections
FROM THE OPPOSITION Our Founders were masters of checks and balances,
and they put numerous safeguards in place to
ensure that a convention would never run away.
Objection 1: What happens if a Convention of
States becomes a “runaway convention” and Objection 2: Didn’t the original Constitutional
takes away our hard-won liberties? Convention run away?
Answer: Despite a common myth promoted by some Answer: No, this is another myth that has been spread
groups beginning in the 1960s, there is absolutely no to justify judicial activism and other unconstitutional
precedent for a “runaway convention.” There have been at changes to our system of government. The entire claim
least 38 multi-state conventions in American history and that the Constitutional Convention ran away is based
not a single one has “run away.” on the false idea that Congress called the Constitutional
Convention for the sole purpose of amending the Articles
Our Founders were masters of checks and balances, and of Confederation. But that’s not true. In fact, under the
they put numerous safeguards in place to ensure that a Articles of Confederation, Congress had no authority to
Convention would never run away. The most important of call a convention. If you look at the historical records, it was
these safeguards is the requirement that 38 states ratify any actually Virginia that called the Constitutional Convention
proposal coming out of the Convention before any change in October 1786. Virginia called the Convention for
the purpose of “render[ing] the Federal Constitution
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is made to the Constitution. It is politically impossible for
any change to be made to our Constitution that does not [system of government] adequate to the Exigencies of the
enjoy the overwhelming support of the American people. As Union,” an instruction that certainly included proposing
a new Constitution. Congress didn’t enter the picture
respected constitutional scholar Professor Robert Natelson

Overcoming Objections From the Opposition CONVENTION OF STATES

 until months later when, in February 1787, it passed pounds and running over 2,700 pages! That’s because for
a resolution recommending that the Convention only more than a century, a “runaway constitutional convention”
amend the Articles of Confederation. In the end, all but has been going on in the Supreme Court. The results are
two of the states attending the Convention (New York printed by our federal government in The Constitution of
and Massachusetts) ignored Congress’s non-binding the United States Annotated Edition. Everything from
recommendation and gave their delegates instructions abortion to same-sex marriage to ObamaCare and more
broad enough to allow them to propose a new Constitution. are now “the law of the land.” An Article V Convention,
which the Framers provided, is the only way to rein in our
Objection 3: I like our Constitution the way it activist judiciary, reduce the size of the federal government,
and restore our Constitution back to its original pocket size
is—short, simple, and fairly easy to understand. and its original intent.
Why should we change it?
Objection 4: The Constitution isn’t the
problem. The problem is federal officials. How
The Constitution we live by will amending the Constitution help?
today—the supreme law of the
land governing all American Answer: Most of the problems our country is facing are
citizens and states—actually fills a the result of constitutional interpretations that capitalize
book weighing nearly ten pounds on ambiguities in the wording of certain phrases (e.g., the
and running over 2,700 pages! General Welfare Clause being interpreted as unlimited
power to spend). We can restore the federal government
to its proper, limited place only by clarifying the original
meaning of those phrases through constitutional
amendments—effectively overturning the bad Supreme
Court precedents that have eviscerated our federal system.

Unfortunately, due to manipulation and expansion of

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Answer: While many Americans now own a “Pocket federal government power by the Supreme Court, we
Constitution,” the truth is that the Constitution we live by the people must use a convention to put the federal
today—the supreme law of the land governing all American government back into the constitutional box originally
citizens and states—actually fills a book weighing nearly ten created by the Founders.

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Objection 5: Article V says Congress “calls” the Answer: No. Over 400 applications for a Convention
Convention. Doesn’t this mean Congress will of States have been filed, but we have never had one
because there have never been 34 applications seeking a
control the Convention?
Convention for the same purpose. This demonstrates that
the purpose or scope specified in the applications does
Answer: No, Congress’s role is limited to issuing the “call”
matter. States can instruct their respective delegates to
which sets the date, time, and location of the meeting once
it receives 34 applications for a Convention on the same entertain a more narrow scope than what is within the
topic. In legal terms, this is referred to as a “ministerial” role. aggregated application, but they cannot broaden the topic
In this role, Congress is acting in a limited administrative beyond that identified in the 34 passed applications.
capacity on behalf of the states. It has no authority beyond
that, including no control over the delegates. Objection 7: Why is the opposition to a
Convention of States issuing dire warnings
about its potential for national disaster?

Answer: Nearly all opposition comes from the hard left, as

was revealed in April of 2017. Led by the George Soros-
funded Common Cause, a coalition of radically anti-
Congress is acting in a limited administrative constitutional activist groups united in their opposition to
capacity on behalf of the states. It has no authority
this constitutional solution. The nearly 250 signers include
beyond that, including no control over the delegates.
the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, Greenpeace, La Raza,
the NAACP, and Clinton-founded groups like MoveOn.
org. These nearly 250 groups depend on a corrupt, runaway
Objection 6: At a time of extreme federal government to preserve their power, fill their
gerrymandering and in an environment of coffers with taxpayer dollars, and advance their radical
agendas. This kind of organized opposition means one thing:
unlimited political spending, wouldn’t a
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We are right above the target and they know it. These
Convention of States open up the Constitution organizations share one goal: Keep the disastrous status
and our system of government to being rewritten quo of our federal government unchanged. A Convention
by special interest groups and the wealthy? of States is the only way to stop them.

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Convention Amendments
of States
TO CONSIDER AT A
CONVENTION OF STATES
MODEL APPLICATION At an Article V Convention of States, delegates will have the
opportunity to debate and pass amendments that could:
The COS application limits what can be proposed at a
Convention of States. •  
Require Members of Congress to live under the same
laws they pass for the rest of us.
The subject areas that can be considered at a Convention
of States are strictly limited to those specified in the official
•  
Impose term limits on Members of Congress.
applications submitted by all 34 (or more) states. Section 1
of the application for a Convention of States was carefully
•  
Require a balanced federal budget.
worded to specify such limits. It reads:

Section 1. The legislature of the State of •  

Impose limits on federal spending and/or taxation.
hereby applies to Congress, under the provisions of
Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the •  
Get the federal government out of our healthcare system.
calling of a Convention of the States limited to proposing
amendments to the Constitution of the United States that •  
Get the federal government out of our education system.
impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit
the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and •  
Stop unelected federal bureaucrats from imposing
limit the terms of office for its officials and for Members regulations.
of Congress.
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•  
Set term limits for Supreme Court Justices.
Any amendment submitted by the Convention of States
which goes beyond the scope plainly stated in Section 1 •  
Set term limits for federal bureaucrats, ending the
cannot be considered for ratification by the states. dominance of the “swamp.”

Convention of States Model Application Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States

 •  
Remove the authority of the federal government over
state energy policy. Convention
of States
•  
Force the federal government to honor its commitment
to return federal lands to the states.

At this Convention, delegates from the states will gather for

the sole purpose of proposing amendments that limit the
power, size, and spending of the federal government, and
SIMULATION
impose term limits on its officials and Members of Congress.
“The events at Williamsburg will be remembered as a turning
point in history. The spirit of liberty and self-governance has
been reignited.”
– Michael Farris, Co-Founder, Convention of States Project

The first ever Convention of States Simulation convened in

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, Sept. 21-23, 2016. One-
hundred and thirty-seven commissioners representing
every state in the nation gathered together to undertake
this historic endeavor. The Convention operated flawlessly,
according to a set of rules drafted by Article V scholar
Prof. Rob Natelson and approved by the COS Caucus, the
Delegates from the states will gather for the sole purpose largest state legislator caucus in America.
of proposing amendments that limit the power, size, and The Convention passed amendment proposals on the
spending of the federal government, and impose term following six ideas:
limits on its officials and Members of Congress.
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1. The public debt shall not be increased except upon a
super majority vote in Congress.

2. Term limits on Members of Congress.

CONVENTION OF STATES Convention of States Simulation

 About
CONVENTION OF STATES
ACTION (COSA)

Convention of States Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit

Learn more about the Simulated Convention of organization founded for the purpose of stopping the
States by visiting [Link]/cossim runaway power of the federal government. We believe
Washington, D.C., is broken and will not fix itself. The
federal government is spending this country into the
ground, seizing power from the states, and taking liberty
from the people.
3. Limiting federal overreach by restoring the Commerce
Clause to its original meaning. We have a solution as big as the problem.

4. Limiting the power of federal regulations by allowing COSA’s two-part plan is to urge and empower state
for a congressional override. legislators to call a Convention of States.

5. Requiring a super majority of Congress to increase 1. Article V requires that 34 states pass resolutions to
federal taxes and repealing the 16th Amendment. call a Convention of States on the same subject before
the meeting can be called. We are working with state
6. Giving the states (by a 3/5ths vote) the power to legislators around the country to call a Convention for
abrogate any federal law, regulation, or executive order. a specific subject: to impose fiscal restraints on the
federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of
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If you want to know how an actual Convention of States the federal government, and limit the terms of office
will operate, learn more about the simulated convention, for its officials and for Members of Congress.
and watch video of the proceedings, go to
[Link]/cossim. 2. We believe grassroots support is the key to successfully

CONVENTION OF STATES About Convention of States Action (COSA)

 Get Involved
calling a Convention—and also the key to ensuring that
good amendments get ratified. We are building a political
operation in all 50 states, recruiting at least 100 citizens
in every state legislative district in the nation.
IN MAKING HISTORY
Contact information We always knew the statist ruling “elite” would one day
COS Action attack, but our growing success has forced them to act
5850 San Felipe, Suite 580A faster than we anticipated. And you can be sure, those
attacks are just beginning. Today they are coming from the
Houston, TX 77057 radical left, but the assaults will expand to include every
540-441-7227 person and organization in Washington, D.C., with a vested
info@[Link] interest in keeping power there. To ensure that we respond
effectively, we’re
focused on increasing
our grassroots army
to many millions of
Americans. You can be
a part of this historic
grassroots movement
by getting involved in
four unique ways.
Photocopy and sign the
Convention of States
12.1. Sign & Send petition on pages 39-41.

First, photocopy or
We believe grassroots support is the key to digitally sign the Convention of States petition on pages 39-
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successfully calling a Convention—and also the key 41 of this booklet and mail it to Convention of States Action,
to ensuring that good amendments get ratified. 5850 San Felipe, Suite 580A, Houston, TX 77057 and send
your friends to [Link] to sign the
petition. Right now, we have about 4 million supporters, but

CONVENTION OF STATES Get Involved in Making History

 we’re looking to more than double our citizen activist army involved. The Social Media Warriors spread the word online
by the year’s end. If every supporter sends the petition to and the State Follow-Up Team welcomes new volunteers.
five of their friends, we’ll hit that goal in no time. For more information, visit: [Link]/
take_action#volunteers.
12.2. Volunteer
12.3. Be a Leader
Volunteering is the easiest way to get involved in the fight
in your state. As a volunteer, your primary tasks will be We have leadership positions to fit any skill set. Visit:
contacting your state legislators and asking that they support [Link]/take_action#leaders and
the Convention of States resolution, spreading the word about apply to be a:

• State Director
• District Captain
• Coalitions Director (e.g., Veterans, Young Americans)
Volunteering is the easiest way to get • State Videographer
involved in the fight in your state. • State Communications Coordinator
• Legislative Liaison
• State Media Liaison
• State Information Analyst
• Coalitions Director
• State Grassroots Coordinator

12.4. Spread the Word

Article V to your friends and family, and attending legislative Share this booklet with a friend, family member, or an
meetings at your state capitol. You can commit as much or elected official. Visit us online for more information at:
as little time as your schedule allows — we’re just excited [Link]
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to welcome you aboard! For more information, visit: www. [Link]/conventionofstates
[Link]/take_action. [Link]/conventionofstates
[Link]/COSProject
Our volunteer teams are another great way to become (540) 441-7227 (to request a speaker)

CONVENTION OF STATES CONVENTION OF STATES

 Convention Convention
of States of States
ONLINE PETITION PAPER PETITION

To sign the petition online, click on the button below and Make photocopies of this form for you and others to sign.
fill out the form. Your petition will be sent directly to your Mail signed copies to Convention of States Action, 5850
state legislators, encouraging them to support COS. San Felipe, Suite 580A, Houston, TX 77057.

Almost everyone knows that our federal government is on

a dangerous course. The unsustainable debt combined with
crushing regulations on states and businesses is a recipe for
disaster.
SIGN THE PETITION
What is less known is that the Founders gave state legislatures
the power to act as a final check on abuses of power by
Washington, DC. Article V of the U.S. Constitution authorizes
the state legislatures to call a Convention for proposing needed
amendments to the Constitution. This process does not require
the consent of the federal government in Washington, DC.
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I support the Convention of States Project; a national effort
to call a Convention under Article V of the United States
Cut Along Dotted Line

Constitution, restricted to proposing amendments that will

impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its

CONVENTION OF STATES Convention of States Petition

 power and jurisdiction, and impose term limits on its officials
and members of Congress.

I want our state to be one of the necessary 34 states to pass

a resolution calling for this kind of Article V Convention. You
can find a copy of the model resolution and the Article V
Pocket Guide (which explains the process and answers many
questions) here:

[Link]

I ask that you support the Convention of States Project and

consider becoming a co-sponsor of the resolution. Please
respond to my request by informing the national COS team of
your position, or sending them any questions you may have:

info@[Link] or (540) 441-7227.

Thank you so much for your service to the people of our

district.

Respectfully,

Name (printed):

Address: Date:
41

Cut Along Dotted Line

I want to volunteer Phone:

(Check Box to Apply)

CONVENTION OF STATES
[Link]