IA 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 4 

Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United 

States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 5, 2011 

Mr. BUCHANAN introduced 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

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: 


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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. The limit on the debt of the United 

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

9 three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall pro10 vide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote. 

11 ‘‘SECTION 3. 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. 

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

16 law unless approved by a majority of the whole number 

17 of each House by a rollcall vote. 

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

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

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

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

22 engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and 

23 serious military threat to national security and is so de24 clared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the 

25 whole number of each House, which becomes law. 


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1 ‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress shall enforce and imple2 ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely 

3 on estimates of outlays and receipts. 

4 ‘‘SECTION 7. Congress shall, by appropriate legisla5 tion, provide that outlays for natural disasters do not 

6 count as outlays for purposes of section 1. 

7 ‘‘SECTION 8. 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 9. This article shall take effect beginning 

13 with the later of the second fiscal year beginning after its 

14 ratification or the first fiscal year beginning after Decem15 ber 31, 2016.’’. 

Æ 


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