Gov. Ron DeSantis and leaders of the Florida legislature announced plans Monday Monday to ratify four proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
DeSantis, who recently dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, says he’s concerned about rising federal debt and a Congress he says needs to be held accountable.
“We’ve talked about these problems for a long time," DeSantis says. "We’ve talked about the debt for a long time and it’s gotten worse under both Republicans and Democrats. We’ve talked about the border for a long time and yet we still are dealing with it to this day. We’ve talked about the growth of government and yet government has continued to get bigger regardless of who is in charge. So, I think the time for talk is over."
DeSantis says it’s time for states to intervene. He wants Florida to ratify federal amendments that would impose term limits on members of Congress and require the federal government to pass a balanced budget. They would also give the president line-item veto power and block Congress from giving itself a carveout in new laws.
Some of the proposals have already been okayed by some states. DeSantis says he's trying to reignite the efforts.
"We’re in a great spot because people look to us for leadership on a lot of these issues, so now they’re going to see this. This is back on the front burner," DeSantis says
DeSantis says he plans to reach out to other states to move the issues forward. U.S. amendments passed through joint resolution must be ratified by three-fourths of all states. Amendments can also go through a state convention process.
The leader of Florida’s House Democrats says she’s concerned about DeSantis’ plan. Rep. Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) says it feels like an attempt to further push Republican talking points on a national level.
“Why is this governor so focused on Washington? It is time for him to focus on Florida," Driskell says.
Driskell says she’d rather DeSantis focus his attention on issues she feels more directly impact Floridians like rising housing costs and healthcare access.
