Sen. Mike Enzi, Wyoming Republican, and Rep. Bob Bishop, Utah Republican, rolled out a new proposed amendment to the Constitution, dubbed the Repeal Amendment, aimed at giving states an extra check against the federal government’s power. Enzi and Bishop contend that over the past several decades, the balance of power between the federal government and state governments put in place by the founding fathers has shifted in favor of the federal government and they hope this amendment would begin reversing that trend.
“The Repeal Amendment would provide states with a powerful tool to return power and rights back to the states and to the people respectively, just as our Founding Fathers intended,” Bishop said. “It is my hope that this joint resolution will inspire a new way of thinking in Washington, serving as a reminder to lawmakers and bureaucrats that policies that reflect the will of the people most often originate at the local and state levels, and not in Washington, D.C.”
What the amendment would do is allow states to repeal federal legislation or federal regulations. To do so, two-thirds of the states would have to pass an identical resolution.
Currently, only Republicans are on board with the proposal, but Enzi and Bishop expect Democrats to be attracted to the idea too.
“If we are to believe the old adage of President Reagan that ‘as government expands, liberty contracts,’ we must provide our states with the breathing room to decide what policies are best for them,” Enzi said. “The role of the federal government was never meant to be a big brother, but a partner in providing the greatest amount of opportunity to the most people.”