Ronald Reagan led this effort in the 1970s & 80s.
Audio Clip 1: Reagan wanted the threat of a convention.
President Reagan led the Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) campaign to 32 of the 34 states required to call a convention. However, he didn’t want a convention, he wanted to use the threat of a convention, achieved at 33 states, to force Congress to propose a BBA. That is our strategy as well. Listen to Reagan affirm this:
Audio Clip 2: Reagan didn’t fear conventions.
President Reagan wanted to achieve the threat of a convention because it was the easiest way to get a BBA proposed, but he didn’t fear conventions. Listen to Reagan confirm this.
Video Clip 1: Reagan State of the Union Address
Despite being one state short of 33, President Reagan still tried to use the passage of 32 state convention calls to force Congress to propose a BBA during his 1984 SOTU address.
Reagan letter to a Montana State Senator.
President Reagan asks Montana to become the 33rd state to pass a BBA convention call so he can use it to force Congress to propose a Balanced Budget Amendment for ratification.