Congress Initiated Amendments A Two Thirds Majority

The Constitution's Amendment Process: Two Paths to Change

Congress-Initiated Amendments: A Two-Thirds Majority

As outlined in Article V of the Constitution, amendments may be initiated by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This stringent threshold ensures that significant changes to the nation's foundational document are only made with broad support.

Proposal by Members of the House

In a more direct approach, amendments can also be proposed by individual members of the House of Representatives. While this option provides an avenue for citizen-driven initiatives, it requires a majority vote in the House to move forward.

The Two-Step Process

At the heart of the constitutional amendment process lies a two-step framework:

1. Proposal: An amendment is proposed either by Congress or initiated by a House member and approved by a majority vote.

2. Ratification: The proposed amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by conventions held in at least three-fourths of the states.