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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 5

To provide for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment that prohibits

the use of Social Security surpluses to achieve compliance.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 19, 1999

Mr. GRAMM (for himself and Mr. GORTON) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

To provide for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment

that prohibits the use of Social Security surpluses to

achieve compliance.

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That the following article is proposed as an amendment

4 to the Constitution, which shall be valid to all intents and

5 purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the

6 legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within

7 seven years after the date of its submission to the States

8 for ratification:
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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.
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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 beginning

20 with fiscal year 2002 or with the second fiscal year begin21 ning after its ratification, whichever is later.’’.

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