IIA 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 2 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative 

to require a balanced budget and protect Social Security surpluses. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 24, 2005 

Mr. CRAIG introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 

States relative to require a balanced budget and protect 

Social Security surpluses.

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two3 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 

6 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 

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

8 States within seven years after the date of its submission 

9 by the Congress: 
2

•SJ 2 IS

1 ‘‘ARTICLE — 

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

3 not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three4 fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall 

5 provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts 

6 by a rollcall vote. 

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

8 of the United States Government except those derived 

9 from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of 

10 the United States Government except for those for repay11 ment of debt principal. 

12 ‘‘SECTION 3. Any surplus of receipts (including at13 tributable interest) over outlays of the Federal Old-Age 

14 and Survivors Insurance and the Federal Disability Insur15 ance Trust Funds shall not be counted for purposes of 

16 this article. Any deficit of receipts (including attributable 

17 interest) relative to outlays of the Federal Old-Age and 

18 Survivors Insurance and the Federal Disability Insurance 

19 Trust Funds shall be counted for purposes of this article, 

20 and must be completely offset by a surplus of all other 

21 receipts over all other outlays. 

22 ‘‘SECTION 4. The limit on the debt of the United 

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

24 three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall pro25 vide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote. 
3

•SJ 2 IS

1 ‘‘SECTION 5. Prior to each fiscal year, the President 

2 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the 

3 United States Government for that fiscal year, in which 

4 total outlays do not exceed total receipts. 

5 ‘‘SECTION 6. No bill to increase revenue shall become 

6 law unless approved by a majority of the whole number 

7 of each House by a rollcall vote. 

8 ‘‘SECTION 7. The Congress may waive the provisions 

9 of this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration 

10 of war is in effect. The provisions of this article may be 

11 waived for any fiscal year in which the United States is 

12 engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and 

13 serious military threat to national security and is so de14 clared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the 

15 whole number of each House, which becomes law. 

16 ‘‘SECTION 8. The Congress shall enforce and imple17 ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely 

18 on estimates of outlays and receipts. 

19 ‘‘SECTION 9. This article shall take effect the second 

20 fiscal year beginning after its ratification.’’.

Æ