[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 22 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 22
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United
States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 17, 2005
Mr. Cooper (for himself, Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Ross,
Mr. Barrow, Mr. Case, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Davis of Tennessee, Mr. Salazar,
Ms. Harman, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Costa, Mr. Boswell, Ms.
Herseth, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Chandler, Mr.
Tanner, Mr. Ford, Mr. Berry, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, and
Mr. Taylor of Mississippi) introduced the following joint resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United
States.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled
(two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following
article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the
Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the
several States within seven years after the date of its submission for
ratification:
``Article --
``Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed
total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole
number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific
excess of outlays over receipts by a rollcall vote.
``Section 2. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the
public shall not be increased, unless three-fifths of the whole number
of each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall
vote.
``Section 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall
transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the United States
Government for that fiscal year in which total outlays do not exceed
total receipts.
``Section 4. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless
approved by a majority of the whole number of each House by a rollcall
vote.
``Section 5. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article
for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The
provisions of this article may be waived for any fiscal year in which
the United States is engaged in military conflict which causes an
imminent and serious military threat to national security and is so
declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole
number of each House, which becomes law.
``Section 6. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article
by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and
receipts. The appropriate committees of the House of Representatives
and the Senate shall report to their respective Houses implementing
legislation to achieve a balanced budget without increasing the
receipts or reducing the disbursements of the Federal Old-Age and
Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance
Trust Fund to achieve that goal.
``Section 7. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the
United States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total
outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government
except for those for repayment of debt principal.
``Section 8. This article shall take effect beginning with the
later of the second fiscal year beginning after its ratification or the
first fiscal year beginning after December 31, 2009.''.
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