IA

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 53

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide

for a balanced budget for the United States Government and for greater

accountability in the enactment of tax legislation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 12, 1999

Mr. ISTOOK (for himself, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COX,

Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. GOODE,

Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. SAM JOHNSON

of Texas, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. PETERSON

of Pennsylvania, Mr. PETRI, Mr. PITTS, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. SCHAFFER,

Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. TALENT, Mr. TERRY, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, and

Mr. TANCREDO) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United

States to provide for a balanced budget for the United

States Government and for greater accountability in the

enactment of tax legislation.

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled

3 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol4 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con5 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all
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1 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when

2 ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several

3 States within seven years after the date of its submission

4 for ratification:

5 ‘‘ARTICLE—

6 ‘‘SECTION 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall

7 not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three8 fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall

9 by a rollcall vote provide by law for a specified excess of

10 outlays over receipts.

11 ‘‘SECTION 2. Total receipts shall include all receipts

12 of the United States Government except those derived

13 from borrowing, and except for any suprlus within the

14 Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and

15 the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. Total out16 lays shall include all outlays of the United States Govern17 ment except for those for repayment of debt principal.

18 ‘‘SECTION 3. The limit on the debt of the United

19 States held by the public shall not be increased, unless

20 three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall pro21 vide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote.

22 ‘‘SECTION 4. Prior to each fiscal year, the President

23 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the

24 United States Government for that fiscal year which con25 forms to the requirements of this article.
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1 ‘‘SECTION 5. No bill to increase revenue shall become

2 law unless approved by a majority of the whole number

3 of each House by a rollcall vote.

4 ‘‘SECTION 6. Solely to the extent necessary for addi5 tional military funding, the Congress may waive the provi6 sions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declara7 tion of war is in effect, or in which the United States is

8 engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and

9 serious military threat to national security and is so de10 clared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the

11 whole number of each House, which becomes law.

12 ‘‘SECTION 7. The Congress shall enforce and imple13 ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely

14 on estimates of outlays and receipts.

15 ‘‘SECTION 8. This article shall take effect beginning

16 with the first fiscal year beginning after its ratification.’’.

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