DeSantis calls for U.S. constitutional amendments on term limits, line-item veto, more

NAPLES, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis called for reforms to the U.S. Constitution through the passage of resolutions seeking a constitutional convention during a press conference on Monday.

“[The] incentives are designed to produce poor outcomes,” DeSantis said. “The incentives are designed for more debt. The incentives are designed for politicians to put themselves first. The incentives are designed to have a separate ruling class.”

“Washington is never going to reform itself,” he said. “It’s going to require us, working in our individual states, using the tools that the founding fathers gave us to be able to take power away from D.C. and return it back to the American people.”

The governor explained multiple bills he is prepared to sign, relating to limiting the power of the federal government through the addition of constitutional amendments during an Article V constitutional convention.

Under the constitution, a convention may be called if two thirds of the country’s state legislatures agree to call one for the purpose of amending the document.

“First, we are certifying for amendment, term limits for members of Congress,” he said. “And this is something that’s long overdue. We have it in Florida. You know what, it works in Florida because people have a limited amount of time. There incentives are to make a difference, not to stay in office for 30 or 40 years.”

“So, being able to do that, Congress will never do it itself, but we have the ability through the states to impose that on Congress and that’s going to make a big, big difference,” DeSantis said. “You should go, serve for a limited amount of time, and then live under the laws that you passed.”

DeSantis also called for a balanced federal budget amendment, similar to Florida’s requirement that makes the state balance the budget each fiscal year.

“Right now, the incentives are to put things on the credit card,” the governor said. “That’s the path of least resistance, that’s how these guys stay in office longer and who ends up with the bill?”

Resolutions for both the term limits and balanced federal budget amendments passed the Florida House and are awaiting review and approval by the Senate.

DeSantis also suggested amending the constitution to allow for the president to have the power to execute a line-item veto.

“Federally, they put a big bill on the president’s desk and you have to either sign everything or veto everything,” he said. “That’s why we have money to promoting things like transgenderism in Bangladesh.”

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, also spoke on the legislature’s work to limit the federal government’s powers.

“Florida’s success, in large part, is built into our constitution,” he said. “Because as the governor said, we have a term limits requirement, as well as a balanced budget requirement.”

“And I can say out loud as a legislator, when we talk abut the line item veto for a governor. Look, we’re busy in that 60 days trying to do the best things we can for the public safety and education,”Renner added. “Do turkeys slip through the budget process? Do bad spending measures, do they slip through? Absolutely, they slip through.”