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Atlantic Free Press - In letters to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid the newly formed national organization Friends of the Article V Convention declared its challenge to Congress. “The time has come to stop playing games with the U.S. Constitution and respect the rights of Americans,” said FOAVC founder and National Press Secretary Joel S. Hirschhorn, a former senior congressional staffer.

FOAVC told Pelosi and Reid that Congress has a legal obligation to call a convention and that it is initiating a national campaign to build public pressure on Congress for a convention. "The one and only requirement specified in Article V for a convention is that two-thirds of state legislatures apply for a convention. With over 500 applications from all 50 states on record with the Congress that sole requirement has been more than met. Congress has never passed any law to expand or further specify requirements for an Article V convention, meaning the language in Article V prevails,” said FOAVC.

“Congress has cheated Americans by not obeying Article V of the Constitution. Members of Congress are violating their oath of office to faithfully obey the Constitution,” said Hirschhorn, “and we must hold them accountable.”

“Members of Congress seem more effective as lawbreakers than lawmakers,” added California congressional candidate Byron De Lear and an FOAVC founder. “If Congress can silently and unilaterally ignore or veto one part of the Constitution, then it can disobey any part of it,” said De Lear.

Thomas E. Brennan, former Chief Justice, State of Michigan, and an FOAVC founder has said publicly that a convention “is necessary, desirable, and feasible.” The convention option “is to be taken seriously…it is not a joke, nor an illusion. It would bring a new, responsible dimension to American politics,” said Brennan.

“Operating outside the control of the federal government convention delegates could, like members of Congress, consider any constitutional amendments they deem necessary to address unresolved national problems – and that’s what frightens politicians,” noted Hirschhorn.

De Lear said, “Congress can’t have it both ways. Give Americans its first Article V convention or propose a constitutional amendment to remove the convention option.” FOAVC reminded Pelosi and Reid that Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower supported use of the convention option. “Sadly, no current Democratic or Republican presidential candidate has done likewise, especially mavericks like Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and ‘champion of the Constitution’ Ron Paul,” noted De Lear.

The non-partisan FOAVC at www.foavc.org urges Americans and state legislatures to demand that Congress obey the Constitution, respect states’ rights, and announce the first Article V convention. FOAVC does not support any specific constitutional amendment, though it invites groups advocating specific reforms that might be achieved through amendments to become Affiliate Members.

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