# What This Constitutional Amendment Proposal Would Do

This is a proposal to change the U.S. Constitution in three major ways. Since it's a constitutional amendment, it would need approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate, plus ratification by three-fourths of the states to actually become law. Right now, it's just being introduced as an idea.

The first change would give the President something called a "line item veto." Currently, when Congress passes a spending bill, the President has to either sign the whole thing or reject it completely. With a line item veto, the President could approve most of a bill but cross out specific spending items they don't like—kind of like editing a document before accepting it. Supporters say this would let Presidents eliminate wasteful spending without killing entire bills. Critics worry it would give Presidents too much power to override Congress's spending decisions and could be used to punish states or districts that oppose the President.

The second change would limit how many terms members of Congress can serve. This would cap how long senators and representatives can stay in office. The exact number of terms isn't specified in this proposal, but similar ideas typically suggest two or three terms. Supporters believe this would reduce the power of long-serving politicians and bring fresh perspectives to Congress. Opponents argue it would weaken Congress as an institution and make lawmakers more dependent on lobbyists and special interests since they wouldn't have time to build independent power bases.

The third change would require a two-thirds supermajority vote in both chambers of Congress to pass any new taxes or fees. This is a much higher bar than the simple majority normally needed. It would make raising taxes or creating new fees significantly harder, since you'd need support from both parties rather than just one. This would likely make it very difficult to fund new government programs or address budget shortfalls through revenue increases.

A joint resolution proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States relative to the line item veto, a limitation on the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve, and requiring a vote of two-thirds of the membership of both Houses of Congress on any legislation raising or imposing new taxes or fees.

Scott, Rick

 <p>This joint resolution proposes constitutional amendments that (1) authorize the President to reduce or disapprove any appropriation in a bill or joint resolution using a line-item veto, (2) prohibit Members of Congress from serving more than six terms in the House of Representatives or two terms in the Senate, and (3) require a two-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress for legislation that imposes or raises any tax or fee. </p>