Maryland 2023 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HJ2 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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3	3	hj0002
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5	5	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2
6	6	P5 3lr1611
7	7	HJ 6/22 – HRU CF SJ 1
8	8	By: Delegates Fisher, Adams, Arentz, Arikan, Baker, Bouchat, Buckel, Chisholm,
9	9	Ciliberti, Ghrist, Griffith, Hornberger, Howard, Hutchinson, Jacobs,
10	10	McComas, Metzgar, Miller, M. Morgan, T. Morgan, Nawrocki, Otto, Pippy,
11	11	Reilly, Rose, Schmidt, Stonko, Szeliga, Tomlinson, Valentine, and Wivell
12	12	Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2023
13	13	Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
14	14
15	15	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
16	16
17	17	A House Joint Resolution concerning 1
18	18
19	19	United States Constitution – Amendments Convention – Limitations on Federal 2
20	20	Power 3
21	21
22	22	FOR the purpose of applying to the U.S. Congress for an amendments convention called 4
23	23	under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, on the application of the legislatures of 5
24	24	two–thirds of the several states, to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution 6
25	25	that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and 7
26	26	jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for officials of the 8
27	27	federal government and for the members of the U.S. Congress; and generally relating 9
28	28	to an application to Congress for a convention to propose amendments to the U.S. 10
29	29	Constitution. 11
30	30
31	31	WHEREAS, Executive orders by the President of the United States have become a 12
32	32	vehicle through which the President may overstep the limits of constitutional authority; 13
33	33	and 14
34	34
35	35	WHEREAS, The concentration of power at the federal level has had the effect of 15
36	36	making federal officials less responsive to the will of the people and more readily influenced 16
37	37	by lobbyists, wealthy corporations, and special interests in Washington, D.C.; and 17
38	38
39	39	WHEREAS, Much of federal law is now enacted by federal bureaucrats who were 18
40	40	never chosen by the people and have no accountability to the people; and 19
41	41
42	42	WHEREAS, Policy decisions made at the state level tend to be more responsive to 20
43	43	the needs and desires of the people; and 21
44	44
45	45	WHEREAS, The federal government has created a crushing national debt through 22
46	46	improper and imprudent spending; and 23
47	47	2 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2
48	48
49	49
50	50	WHEREAS, The federal government has invaded the legitimate roles of the states 1
51	51	through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a 2
52	52	great extent; and 3
53	53
54	54	WHEREAS, The states have the ability to restore the responsiveness of government 4
55	55	to the people and to restrain abuses of federal power by proposing amendments to the 5
56	56	Constitution of the United States through a limited Convention of the States under Article 6
57	57	V of the U.S. Constitution; now, therefore, be it 7
58	58
59	59	RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That, as provided 8
60	60	in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, the General Assembly of Maryland respectfully applies 9
61	61	to the U.S. Congress for an amendments convention to be called as soon as two–thirds of 10
62	62	the several states have applied for a convention, for the purpose of proposing amendments 11
63	63	to the U.S. Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the 12
64	64	power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for officials 13
65	65	of the federal government and for the members of the U.S. Congress; and be it further 14
66	66
67	67	RESOLVED, That delegates to the convention from Maryland may not propose 15
68	68	amendments that do not have the primary goals of addressing the goals listed in this Joint 16
69	69	Resolution; and be it further 17
70	70
71	71	RESOLVED, That this application constitutes a continuing application in 18
72	72	accordance with Article V of the U.S. Constitution until at least two–thirds of the 19
73	73	legislatures of the several states have made application for an equivalently limited 20
74	74	amendments convention; and be it further 21
75	75
76	76	RESOLVED, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be sent by the Secretary 22
77	77	of State to: 23
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79	79	(1) the Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, 24
80	80	President of the United States Senate, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; 25
81	81	the Honorable Patty Murray, President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, 154 26
82	82	Russell Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, 27
83	83	Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 2468 Rayburn House Office 28
84	84	Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 29
85	85
86	86	(2) the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators Benjamin L. Cardin 30
87	87	and Christopher Van Hollen, Jr., Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and 31
88	88	Representatives Andrew P. Harris, C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III, John P. Sarbanes, 32
89	89	Glenn F. Ivey, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, David J. Trone, Kweisi Mfume, and Jamie Raskin, 33
90	90	House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 34
91	91
92	92	(3) the Honorable Debra Steidel Wall, Acting Archivist of the United 35
93	93	States, National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., 36
94	94	Washington, D.C. 20408; and 37
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96	96	(4) the Honorable Sonceria Berry, Secretary of the United States Senate, 38 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2 3
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99	99	United States Capitol Building, Suite S–312, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable 1
100	100	Elizabeth MacDonough, Parliamentarian of the United States Senate, United States 2
101	101	Capitol Building, Room H–209, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Cheryl L. Johnson, 3
102	102	Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, Suite H–154, United States Capitol 4
103	103	Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; and the Honorable Jason Smith, Parliamentarian of the 5
104	104	United States House of Representatives, Room H–209, United States Capitol Building, 6
105	105	Washington, D.C. 20515, requesting that they publish this Joint Resolution in the 7
106	106	Congressional Record and list this application in the official tally of state legislative 8
107	107	applications for a convention of the states under Article V of the U.S. Constitution; and be 9
108	108	it further 10
109	109
110	110	RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State is directed to send copies of this Joint 11
111	111	Resolution to the presiding officers of both Houses of the legislature of each of the several 12
112	112	states, with the request that it be circulated among leaders in the legislative branch of the 13
113	113	state governments; and with the further request that each of the states join in requesting 14
114	114	the U.S. Congress to call an amendments convention for the purpose of initiating a proposal 15
115	115	to amend the U.S. Constitution as described in this Joint Resolution. 16
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