Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says Congress's failure to address the national debt could end up bankrupting the country.

And he's urging Kentucky to sign on to a movement to get the nation's fiscal house in order for the 2024 presidential candidate addressed.

Members of the Kentucky House today advocating for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S.

Constitution and hopes of lowering the national debt.

Our Emily Sisk was there in Frankfort and has the details.

If we want to fix the nation's fiscal trajectory, we need the states to step up and do their constitutional role.

And Kentucky absolutely has got to be a part of that.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis calling on Kentucky today to join the movement of states advocating for a balanced federal budget.

DeSantis spoke at a House committee meeting backing Representative Jason Petrie's House Concurrent Resolution 45.

This resolution would have Kentucky join the calls for a convention of states.

At that convention, state delegates would convene to write a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.

A proposal can be fashioned, and then it can go to the states for ratification.

If a convention took place and an amendment was written, at least 38 states would have to vote in favor of ratification, adding the amendment to the U.S.

Constitution.

Currently, the United States Congress has the ruling authority over the federal budget, but the Florida governor says he's lost faith in their budget balancing ability as the national debt sits at $38 trillion.

The reason I'm here is because I don't think Congress is going to fix itself.

We now spend more on interest, on our national debt just to service the debt than we do on national defense.

A Lexington Democrat expressed her concerns with the thought of states changing the US Constitution.

I have always understood that the United States Constitution was the Supreme document, and anything otherwise would have to go to the Supreme Court of the United States for interpretation.

I am not willing to put our entire country at risk over this, and I think the idea of having a balanced budget is wonderful.

I think we should all aspire to that.

However, that is Congress's duty, and if they are not willing to do that right now, then we need to look at reforms there.

Some House Republicans sided with DeSantis, however, saying it was time for the states to step in.

I think it's vital that we get behind this.

I don't think it's optional even at this point.

I think where we are in our nation demands that we have some kind of restraint on the federal level.

I hope there's no one here that believes a $38 trillion deficit that's growing is sustainable.

It's not in order to form a nationwide convention.

At least 34 states must certify that they're on board.

Right now, DeSantis says 28 states have adopted this resolution.

He explained during a press conference why he wants Kentucky to join in.

I think people in Kentucky, you look at the voting history here, they want to rein in Washington.

I believe that that's something that's very popular in Kentucky.

No vote was held on House concurrent Resolution 45 today.

Sponsoring.

Representative Jason Petri said he hopes to bring the resolution back for a vote soon.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Emily Sisk.

Many thanks Emily.

A spokesperson with the National Campaign for a Balanced Budget Amendment said even if action were taken now, it could still take 15 years to balance the federal budget.