What is required in order for the members of Congress to propose an amendment to the Constitution?

To propose an amendment to the United States Constitution through Congress, the following steps and requirements must be met: ### **1. Proposal in Congress** - **Both Chambers Involved**: An amendment can be proposed either in the House of Representatives or the Senate. - **Two-Thirds Majority Required**: - **House of Representatives**: Two-thirds of the members present must vote in favor. - **Senate**: Similarly, a two-thirds majority of the Senators present must approve the proposal. This means that if the House has 435 members, at least 290 must vote in favor, and in the Senate, if all 100 Senators are present, at least 67 must support the amendment. ### **2. Consideration of the Amendment** - **Debate and Deliberation**: Once introduced, the proposed amendment is typically assigned to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions. - **Vote in Both Chambers**: After committee approval, the amendment is brought to the floor of both the House and Senate for debate and a final vote. ### **3. Approval by States** After the amendment has been successfully passed by the required two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, it must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures (currently 38 out of 50 states) or by conventions in three-fourths of the states, depending on the method specified by Congress. ### **Alternative Method for Proposing Amendments** While your question focuses on the Congressional route, it's worth noting that an amendment can alternatively be proposed through a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. However, this method has never been used to amend the Constitution. ### **Summary** In summary, to propose a constitutional amendment through Congress: - **Initiate the Proposal**: Introduced in either the House or Senate. - **Obtain Approval**: Secured by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. - **Proceed to Ratification**: Move forward to the states for ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions. This rigorous process ensures that only amendments with substantial support across the federal and state levels become part of the Constitution.