MASON CITY, Iowa–Texas Republican Sen. [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore] wants to add a number of amendments to the U.S. Constitution. He told reporters Friday at the Praise Community Church he would like to see amendments added pertaining to a balanced budget, term limits, and restoring power to state legislatures.
“We need quite quite a few constitutional amendments,”Cruz said. “I will fight hard for a balanced budget amendment including also a term limits amendment. I think a term limits amendment is absolutely critical. If you look at the abuses of power we’re seeing in Washington—term limits for members of Congress and the Supreme court.”
He added, “Beyond that, I’ve introduced a Constitutional amendment restoring state legislators to define marriage as one man and one woman. And there are many more amendments we need, in part because the federal government and the courts have gotten so far away from the original text and our original understanding of the Constitution.”
Cruz first wrote about amending the Constitution back in July when the Supreme Court ruled for same sex marriage to be recognized in each state.
The Texas senator’s remarks come as Texas Governor Greg Abbot called for a Constitutional Convention to take back states rights.
“If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of … then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America,” Abbott said during a speech at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Policy Orientation.
The Dallas Morning News reports Abbot will ask lawmakers to pass a bill allowing Texas to join other states calling for a Convention of States.
The Convention of States (COS) Project is organized in each states with almost one million volunteers, supporters and advocates, their website says. Alaska, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama passed the organization’s Article V resolution, which proposes amendments to the U.S. Constitution on issues pertaining to limiting the power of the federal government and establishing term limits for federal officials, since the project launched in 2013. In 2015, the COS Project filed their resolutions in 37 states.