Tom A. Coburn M.D.

Pork-barrel projects like the $452 million “bridge to nowhere” and Keynesian economic debacles like the $840 billion stimulus package that saved as few as 600,000 jobs ($1.4 million per job) have led to a staggering $20 trillion in national debt― about $150,000 per citizen. With most members of Congress focusing only on their own interests, it’s time to smash the DC elitists’ monopoly and rein in spending and extra-constitutional overreach. 

Although the Constitution established a framework for limited federal power and expansive personal freedoms, self-interested politicians and activist court rulings have seriously imbalanced the system. Smashing the DC Monopoly provides the solution to how we the people can finally wrestle control away from Washington insiders and back to our local and state representatives. Having spent more than fifteen years fighting government fraud and irresponsibility, Sen. Tom Coburn reveals that at least $150 billion could be saved annually by eliminating waste and duplication in the federal government. Indeed, while serving on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, Senator Coburn worked on a proposal to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over ten years (which, although a good first step, is but still a drop in the bucket compared to the federal government’s $143 trillion in unfunded liabilities). 

Yet the profligate spending and mismanagement continue unabated. In fact, the growth of government has led to a divided, debt-ridden nation of dependent citizens with decreasing personal freedoms. It’s time for the people to take charge. The Constitution's Framers anticipated a time when self-interested officials would be unwilling or unable to act in the people’s long-term interest. Thus, they included the safety feature of Article V that allows the people to propose amendments to the Constitution through the actions of their state legislatures. Already a growing number of grassroots organizations are actively promoting a convention of the states to address issues such as mandatory balancing of the federal budget, term limits on congressional members, and limits on the federal judiciary. 

Giving up on the political class, Smashing the DC Monopoly argues for an Article V amendments convention as the best solution to limit the power and scope of the federal government. The book provides the historical background for Article V, reveals past attempts to hold an amendments convention, explains the inherent safety of this process, and examines the current efforts since 2010. Senator Tom Coburn explains how we the people can at last re-balance our governmental system and counter the dysfunction in Washington.

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