Gerald Kleczka: “I rise in opposition to Joint Resolution 94. This is the fifth time the House has taken up this particular…”

“I rise in opposition to Joint Resolution 94. This is the fifth time the House has taken up this particular constitutional amendment. It seems that since the Republicans have taken over control of the House, we have had over 100 constitutional amendments introduced. When we are sworn in every 2 years in January, we swear to uphold the Constitution and nowhere do we say we come here to rewrite the Constitution. Let us look back and see why the Framing Fathers put into the Constitution only three instances where a two-thirds vote would be necessary to take any action in the Government. One was to change the Constitution. They thought it was a very, very important, sacred document and much thought should go into changing the various articles of the Constitution and, if we intend to do that, let us do it by a two-thirds vote. They also provided that, if we were going to expel a Member from the House, one who was elected by a majority, I should add, of the people from his or her district, that should be done by a two-thirds vote. The last and only other instance where they provided for a two-thirds vote was overriding a presidential veto.”