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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 103

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution 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

FEBRUARY 4, 1993

Mr. STENHOLM (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. PAYNE of Virginia,

Ms. SNOWE, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. BARTON of

Texas, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. ANDREWS of Texas, Mr. ARCHER, Mr. ARMEY,

Mr. BACCHUS of Florida, Mr. BAKER of Louisiana, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr.

BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. BATEMAN, Mrs. BENTLEY, Mr. BEREUTER,

Mr. BEVILL, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. BOEHLERT,

Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. BREWSTER, Mr. BROWDER, Mr. BRYANT, Mr.

BUNNING, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. CAMP, Mr.

CHAPMAN, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr. CLINGER, Mr. COBLE, Mr. CONDIT, Mr.

COOPER, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. COX, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CRANE, Mr.

CUNNINGHAM, Mr. DARDEN, Mr. DELAY, Mr. DOOLEY, Mr. DOOLITTLE,

Mr. DORNAN, Mr. DREIER, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. EDWARDS of Texas, Mr.

EMERSON, Mr. ENGLISH of Oklahoma, Mr. EWING, Mr. FAWELL, Mr.

FIELDS of Texas, Mr. FISH, Mr. FRANKS of Connecticut, Mr. GALLEGLY,

Mr. GALLO, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas, Mr. GILCHREST,

Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. GLICKMAN, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. GORDON, Mr. GOSS, Mr. GRANDY, Mr. GUNDERSON, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr.

HANCOCK, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. HAYES of Louisiana, Mr.

HEFLEY, Mr. HEFNER, Mr. HENRY, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HOBSON, Mr.

HOUGHTON, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. HUTTO, Mr. HYDE, Mr. JACOBS, Mrs.

JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Mr. SAM

JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida, Mr. KASICH, Mr. KLUG,

Mr. KOLBE, Mr. KYL, Mr. LANCASTER, Mr. LAUGHLIN, Mr. LEACH, Mr.

LEWIS of California, Mr. LEWIS of Florida, Mr. LIGHTFOOT, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mrs. LLOYD, Mr. MACHTLEY, Mr. MAZZOLI, Mr. MCCANDLESS,

Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCCURDY, Mr. MCDADE, Mr. MCMILLAN, Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas, Mr. MICHEL, Ms. MOLINARI, Mr.
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MONTGOMERY, Mr. MOORHEAD, Mr. MORAN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. MYERS

of Indiana, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. PACKARD, Mr.

PALLONE, Mr. PARKER, Mr. PAXON, Mr. PENNY, Mr. PETERSON of Florida, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. PETRI, Mr. PICKLE, Mr. PORTER,

Mr. POSHARD, Mr. QUILLEN, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. RAVENEL, Mr. REGULA, Mr. RIDGE, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. ROGERS, Mr.

ROHRABACHER, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ROTH, Mr. ROWLAND, Mr.

SANGMEISTER, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. SARPALIUS, Mr. SAXTON, Mr.

SCHAEFER, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SHAW, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. SISISKY, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. SPENCE, Mr. SPRATT, Mr.

STEARNS, Mr. STUMP, Mr. SUNDQUIST, Mr. SWETT, Mr. TANNER, Mr.

TAUZIN, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr.

THOMAS of California, Mr. THOMAS of Wyoming, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr.

UPTON, Mr. VALENTINE, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. WALKER, Mr. WALSH,

Mr. WELDON, Mr. WILSON, Mr. WOLF, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr.

YOUNG of Florida, Mr. ZELIFF, Mr. ZIMMER, Mr. DE LA GARZA, Mr.

BACHUS of Alabama, Mr. BAESLER, Mr. BAKER of California, Mr.

BARCIA, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BLUTE, Mr. BONILLA, Mr.

BUYER, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CANADY, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. COPPERSMITH, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. DEAL, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr.

DICKEY, Ms. DUNN, Mr. EVERETT, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr. FRANKS of New

Jersey, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. GRAMS, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. HOEKSTRA,

Mr. HOKE, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. HORN, Mr. HUFFINGTON, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. KIM, Mr. KING, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. LAZIO,

Mr. LEVY, Mr. LINDER, Mr. MANN, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr.

MCINNIS, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. MICA, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. MINGE, Mr. NEAL of North Carolina, Mr. POMBO, Ms. PRYCE

of Ohio, Mr. QUINN, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. TALENT,

and Mr. TORKILDSEN) introduced the following joint resolution; which

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution 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 That the following article is proposed as an amendment
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1 to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be

2 valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitu3 tion when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of

4 the several States within seven years after the date of its

5 submission to the States for ratification:

6 ‘‘ARTICLE—

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

8 not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three9 fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall

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

11 by a rollcall vote.

12 ‘‘SECTION 2. The limit on the debt of the United

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

14 three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall pro15 vide by law for an increase by a rollcall vote.

16 ‘‘SECTION 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President

17 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the

18 United States Government for that fiscal year, in which

19 total outlays do not exceed total receipts.

20 ‘‘SECTION 4. No bill to increase revenue shall become

21 law unless approved by a majority of the whole number

22 of each House by a rollcall vote.

23 ‘‘SECTION 5. The Congress may waive the provisions

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

25 of war is in effect. The provisions of this article may be
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1 waived for any fiscal year in which the United States is

2 engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and

3 serious military threat to national security and is so de4 clared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the

5 whole number of each House, which becomes law.

6 ‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress shall enforce and imple7 ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely

8 on estimates of outlays and receipts.

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

10 of the United States Government except those derived

11 from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of

12 the United States Government except for those for repay13 ment of debt principal.

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

15 with fiscal year 1999 or with the second fiscal year begin16 ning after its ratification, whichever is later.’’

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