Passing a constitutional amendment is difficult by design: the only way to achieve it is with widespread, cross-partisan support driven by grassroots action. While there are two routes to passing a constitutional amendment, only one method has ever been successfully used—acquiring two-thirds support from both houses of Congress and approval by three-quarters of the states.
Building cross-partisan support in Congress is a fundamental pillar of our strategy to win the American Promise Amendment. We need the votes of 67 Senators and 290 Representatives. Good News: We are already well on our way–47 Senators and 214 Representatives have already signed on in support. Here is how we are going to build the support we need to pass the amendment.
American Promise Candidate Pledge
The American Promise Candidate Pledge is one of the most effective ways we have grown support in Congress. American Promise volunteers ask candidates and elected officials in their area to commit to advance the 28th Amendment if elected.
And in the midterm elections in 2018, we saw results: All 12 elected pledge signers in the U.S. House signed on to co-sponsor amendment legislation. The pledge campaign helps us grow awareness among candidates and hold them accountable once elected. Thirteen 2020 presidential candidates also signed the pledge, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, and Republican challenger Bill Weld.
Learn more about the pledge!
What is the American Promise Pledge?
Use our Guide for Reaching Out to Candidates
See our Fact Sheet for Candidates and Elected Officials
See some of our signers and why they took the pledge
See a table with all the pledges
Meeting with Congress
Meeting with members of Congress—through in-person local events, in their representatives’ offices, and by phone and email—is a key way our citizen leaders help build support in Congress.
Our citizen leaders also take action on Capitol Hill. During our 2019 Citizen Lobby Day, following the National Citizen Leadership Conference, citizen leaders held more than 120 meetings with members of Congress in Washington. As Congressman Jim McGovern noted, “Citizen action matters—I want people to appreciate that … Before Lobby Day, there were 164 supporters of the current amendment legislation in Congress; after it, we built to over 200.”
In February 2020, citizen leaders testified in a public Congressional committee hearing on dark money, sharing concerns about the growing political power of ultra-wealthy donors and the rising public distrust in our nation’s institutions as a consequence of the pay-to-play system. American Promise citizen leaders from across the country provided written testimonials in favor of the amendment. Read the testimonials.
Learn more about how to effectively reach out to elected officials!
Use our Guide for Reaching Out to Candidates
See our Fact Sheet for Candidates and Elected Officials
Send a quick email to all of your members of Congress urging them to support the amendment
