BOISE, Idaho — A former U.S. Senator and two time presidential candidate came to the Idaho Statehouse to try and convince lawmakers to join others states for an Article 5 convention of States.
- Intended to hold the federal government responsible on spending
- SCR 112 is a bill that would make a formal application to Congress to call for an Article 5 convention
- Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is lobbying Idaho lawmakers
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Holding the federal government responsible on spending seems to be the intent of SCR 112. It's a proposed bill that would make a formal application to Congress to call for an Article 5 convention of States. Former Pennsylvania Senator and two time presidential candidate Rick Santorum is traveling the country lobbying state legislatures to get on board and pass it.
I asked Senator Santorum, who’s battling through a bit of laryngitis, "why now?
"Because Article Five says States were given the power to check federal government abuses. It’s never been used before and it’s something the States can do given the abuse were seeing with Washington deficits. Deficits facing trillions of dollars so the states need to step up and check the government and get some sanity back into Washington," replied Santorum.
I then asked Santorum who exactly is he representing on his travels. “The Convention of States organization. We want a convention called by 34 States then we’ll debate amendments to the constitution to fiscal restraints on the federal government to put restraints on power and scope of the government it’s gone way beyond it’s constitution bounds and have a national discussion," Santorum added.
I caught up with Lt. Governor Scott Bedke to ask exactly how this would work. “This never gets critical mass because what you brought up Don, what are the rules is it one state one vote they don’t know the reluctance is what’s it going to look like," said Bedke.
SCR 112 will go back into committee for further discussion. I did ask Santorum if he would run for President again. Santorum quickly took the microphone off and declined to answer.
