IA

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 1

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

JANUARY 7, 1997

Mr. DAN SCHAEFER of Colorado (for himself, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. SMITH of

Oregon, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, Mr.

BACHUS, Mr. TANNER, Mr. BAKER, Mr. MINGE, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr.

SPRATT, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. POSHARD, Mr. BASS, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. HOYER, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BAESLER, Mr.

BARCIA, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. BERRY, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr.

BISHOP, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. BOYD, Mr. BROWN

of Ohio, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. BURTON of

Indiana, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. CANNON,

Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CLEMENT,

Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. COBLE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. COOK, Mr.

COSTELLO, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CRANE, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. CUNNINGHAM,

Ms. DANNER, Mr. DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr.

DEFAZIO, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mr.

DOYLE, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr.

ENSIGN, Mr. EWING, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. FORBES, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN,

Mr. FROST, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. GOODE,

Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. HALL of Texas,

Mr. HANSEN, Ms. HARMAN, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. HEFNER, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HILL, Mr. HILLEARY,

Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HORN, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. ISTOOK,

Mr. JONES, Mr. KIM, Mr. KLUG, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. KOLBE, Mr.

LAHOOD, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. LAZIO of New York, Mr. LEACH, Mr.

LEWIS of California, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. LINDER, Mr. LIPINSKI,

Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. LUTHER, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCHALE, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr.

MCINTYRE, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. PACKARD,

Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. PORTMAN,

Mr. QUINN, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. RICHARDSON, Mr. RIGGS, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. SANFORD, Mr.
2

HJ 1 IH

SCARBOROUGH, Mr. BOB SCHAFFER, Mr. SHAW, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SISISKY, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. SNOWBARGER, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. SPENCE, Mr.

STEARNS, Mr. STUMP, Mr. TALENT, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. TAYLOR of

Mississippi, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. TURNER, Mr. UPTON,

Mr. WALSH, Mr. WAMP, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. WELDON of

Pennsylvania, Mr. WHITE, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. WOLF, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr.

OXLEY, and Mr. BOSWELL) 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 (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

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:

10 ‘‘ARTICLE—

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

12 not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three13 fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall

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

15 by a rollcall vote.
3

HJ 1 IH

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

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

3 three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall pro4 vide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote.

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

6 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the

7 United States Government for that fiscal year, in which

8 total outlays do not exceed total receipts.

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

10 law unless approved by a majority of the whole number

11 of each House by a rollcall vote.

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

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

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

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

16 engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and

17 serious military threat to national security and is so de18 clared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the

19 whole number of each House, which becomes law.

20 ‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress shall enforce and imple21 ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely

22 on estimates of outlays and receipts.

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

24 of the United States Government except those derived

25 from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of
4

HJ 1 IH

1 the United States Government except for those for repay2 ment of debt principal.

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

4 with fiscal year 2002 or with the second fiscal year begin5 ning after its ratification, whichever is later.’’.

Æ