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Rick Santorum calls for convention of states to limit federal power
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum spoke at the Iowa Capitol on Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Katie Akin/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Former Sen. Rick Santorum rallied with over 100 Iowans at the State Capitol on Tuesday, calling for a convention of states to limit the power of the federal government.
“Washington is not gonna fix Washington,” Santorum said. “Iowa is gonna fix Washington.”
Santorum said both parties in the U.S. had become too comfortable in power, and he raised concerns with the overuse of executive orders. He criticized federal politicians for trying to make every state “like New York and California.”
“If you know it’s only going to get worse, what’s the risk?,” Santorum asked. “What’s the risk of having people from all 50 states come together and try to find some common ground to take the power away from Washington?”
Convention of States Action organized Tuesday’s event. The group is advocating nationwide to convene a constitutional convention to amend the U.S. Constitution and rein in the federal government. Sixteen states have passed resolutions to convene a convention, including Wisconsin, which passed a resolution on Tuesday. The Constitution requires 34 states to call a constitutional convention.
If enough states pass a resolution, the convention would be asked to consider three priorities: term limits, spending restraints, and limits to the federal government’s power. However, once convened, a constitutional convention potentially could consider other issues.
Santorum was hopeful that Republicans could take control of more state legislatures in 2022, potentially clearing the way for more states to pass a resolution.
“I believe we have an opportunity now,” Santorum said. “Not ten years from now. Now.”
The Iowa House has twice passed a resolution to call a convention of states. Rep. John Wills spoke at the event Tuesday, calling Washington D.C. “worse than a swamp… it’s a cesspool.”
“We have to take back our country… But we need to do that as a whole, as a group, unified together,” Wills, R-Spirit Lake, said.
The Senate has never passed the resolution, but Wills said he believes there is momentum around the proposal this year. Only one senator spoke at the event: Sen. Jesse Green, a Republican from Boone.
“There are people in Washington D.C. … who think that you’re stupid, and you’re simple, and that you can’t be trusted with your own lives,” said Convention of States Action President Mark Meckler.
“They can’t tell you what to do, unless you let them,” Meckler said. “Unless we let them.”
Is Santorum running? Any time a national politician visits Iowa, there’s a lingering question: Are they a caucus contender? Santorum has competed twice in the Iowa caucuses. He ran for president in 2012, when he won the Iowa caucuses by just 34 votes. He ran again in 2016, but performed worse in the contest and dropped out soon after. The former candidate began his speech Tuesday with a series of compliments to the state, praising Iowans for their leadership in the caucuses. He affirmed that he wants Iowa to continue to be the first state to caucus. “That’s why I invested all that time and energy back in 2012 in Iowa. I knew that you folks were not afraid to lead,” Santorum said. “You’re not afraid to stand up, be countercultural.” Johnson County resident Steve Moore said he thinks Santorum would have a “slim chance” against some potential Republican contenders. He identified former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as other options for the nomination. Clear Lake resident Darlene Veach couldn’t say for sure if she would support Santorum in 2024, but she hoped to support “someone like him, someone with the same ideals.” “There’s too much other things going on. It’s more a matter of who you don’t want to support” she said, laughing. “I don’t know if we’ve seen a strong candidate yet, but we have some time.”
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