IA 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 106 

Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United 

States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 23, 2022 

Mr. GOHMERT submitted 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. 

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 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. 

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

5 not exceed 18.5 percent of economic output of the United 

6 States. 

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

8 States held by the public shall not be increased unless 

9 three-fourths of the whole number of each House shall 

10 provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote. 

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

12 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the 

13 United States Government for that fiscal year in which 

14 total outlays do not exceed total receipts. The President’s 

15 failure to transmit to the Congress a balanced budget will 

16 be considered an impeachable offense, except in emergency 

17 situations as described in section 7, in which case the 

18 President may submit a nonbalanced budget under the 

19 procedures described in those sections. 

20 ‘‘SECTION 5. A bill to increase revenue shall not be21 come law unless three-fourths of the whole number of each 

22 House shall provide by law for such an increase by a roll23 call vote. 

24 ‘‘SECTION 6. Effective immediately on the date that 

25 is 90 days after the beginning of any Federal fiscal year, 


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1 there shall be a cancellation of budgetary authority equal 

2 to the amount (if any) that total outlays exceeded the lim3 its set forth in sections 1 and 2 during the preceding fiscal 

4 year. 

5 ‘‘SECTION 7. The Congress may waive all the provi6 sions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declara7 tion of war is in effect. All the provisions of this article 

8 may be waived for any fiscal year in which the United 

9 States is engaged in military conflict which causes an im10 minent and serious military threat to national security and 

11 is so declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority 

12 of the whole number of each House, which becomes law. 

13 Any such waiver must identify and be limited to the spe14 cific excess or increase for that fiscal year made necessary 

15 by the identified military conflict. 

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. Total receipts shall include all receipts 

20 of the United States Government except those derived 

21 from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of 

22 the United States Government except for those for repay23 ment of debt principal. 


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1 ‘‘SECTION 10. This article shall take effect beginning 

2 with the third fiscal year beginning after its ratification.’’. 

Æ 


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