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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION |
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| INTRODUCED BY FOLMER, ALLOWAY AND RAFFERTY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 |
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| A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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1 | Calling for an amendment to the Constitution of the United |
2 | States giving citizens of the United States a direct vote on |
3 | Federal borrowing and indebtedness through national |
4 | referenda. |
5 | WHEREAS, The United States was founded on the principle "no |
6 | taxation without representation"; and |
7 | WHEREAS, The Declaration of Independence proclaims, "We hold |
8 | these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, |
9 | that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable |
10 | Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of |
11 | Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are |
12 | instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the |
13 | consent of the governed"; and |
14 | WHEREAS, Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist Paper #7, noted |
15 | that public debt would be a "cause of collision between the |
16 | separate States" because there would be "dissimilar views among |
17 | the States as to the general principle of discharging the public |
18 | debt"; and |
19 | WHEREAS, The Ninth Amendment to the Constitution of the |
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1 | United States guarantees "The enumeration in the Constitution, |
2 | of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage |
3 | others retained by the people"; and |
4 | WHEREAS, The Federal Government, in the 21st century, to |
5 | date, has amassed unprecedented and astounding debts that will |
6 | burden countless future generations, which will inevitably |
7 | result in higher taxes and diminished opportunities for the |
8 | pursuit of happiness; and |
9 | WHEREAS, The present Federal Government has demonstrated it |
10 | is incapable of either controlling these debts or devising ways |
11 | to repay these debts; and |
12 | WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United states |
13 | provides for additional amendments through "... the Application |
14 | of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall |
15 | call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which ... shall be |
16 | valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, |
17 | when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the |
18 | several States, or by Conventions in three fourths |
19 | thereof ...."; and |
20 | WHEREAS, Both the Constitution of the United States and the |
21 | Constitution of Pennsylvania begin with the same three words: |
22 | "We the people"; therefore be it |
23 | RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the |
24 | Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in accordance with |
25 | Article V of the Constitution of the United States, call for a |
26 | convention for proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the |
27 | United States to give the citizens of the United States a direct |
28 | vote on Federal borrowing and indebtedness through national |
29 | referenda; and be it further |
30 | RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to |
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1 | the legislatures of the 49 other states of the United States |
2 | calling upon them to also make application to call for a |
3 | convention to propose this amendment. |
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