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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2685 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2685

To increase the statutory limit on the public debt by $750,000,000,000 
   upon the adoption by Congress of a balanced budget constitutional 
 amendment and by an additional $750,000,000,000 upon ratification by 
                     the States of that amendment.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2011

Mr. Brooks (for himself and Mr. Bachus) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To increase the statutory limit on the public debt by $750,000,000,000 
   upon the adoption by Congress of a balanced budget constitutional 
 amendment and by an additional $750,000,000,000 upon ratification by 
                     the States of that amendment.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Restoring America's Dignity Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN THE STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE PUBLIC DEBT.

    (a) Adoption.--Effective upon the adoption by the Congress of a 
balanced budget constitutional amendment as described in section 3, the 
statutory limit on the public debt set forth in section 3101(b) of 
title 31, United States Code, is increased by $750,000,000,000.
    (b) Ratification.--Effective upon the ratification by the States of 
a balanced budget constitutional amendment as described in section 3, 
the statutory limit on the public debt set forth in section 3101(b) of 
title 31, United States Code, is increased by an additional 
$750,000,000,000.

SEC. 3. REQUIRED PROVISIONS OF A BALANCED BUDGET CONSTITUTIONAL 
              AMENDMENT.

    The balanced budget constitutional amendment that is referenced in 
section 2 shall include the following provisions:
            (1) Total outlays of the United States for any fiscal year 
        shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year. Total 
        receipts shall include all receipts of the United States except 
        those derived from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all 
        outlays of the United States except those for repayment of debt 
        principal. The United States shall have no fiscal year 
        deficits.
            (2) The limitations imposed by the amendment may be 
        suspended by a majority of the membership of both houses of 
        Congress, by rollcall vote, for any fiscal year in which the 
        United States is in a war declared by Congress pursuant to 
        article I, section 8, or may be suspended by three-fourths of 
        the membership of Congress, by rollcall vote, for any other 
        fiscal year.
            (3) Any bill that increases net gross tax receipts of the 
        United States by levying a new tax or revenue source, or 
        increasing the rate of any existing tax or revenue source, or 
        by amending the terms of one or more then-existing taxes or 
        revenue sources, shall not become law unless approved by three-
        fifths of the membership of each House of Congress by a 
        rollcall vote.
            (4) The Congress shall enforce and implement the amendment 
        by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of 
        outlays and receipts.
            (5) In any fiscal year in which Congress does not suspend 
        the amendment pursuant to its terms and the President 
        determines that total budgeted outlays will exceed total 
        receipts, the President shall take such steps as the President 
        in his discretion deems are necessary to ensure total outlays 
        for that fiscal year do not exceed total receipts. 
        Notwithstanding the foregoing, the President may not order any 
        increase in tax or other revenue to enforce the amendment. A 
        President's intentional noncompliance with this provision is an 
        impeachable offense.
            (6) Any Member of Congress and any Governor or Attorney 
        General of any State shall have standing and a cause of action 
        to seek judicial enforcement of the amendment. No court of the 
        United States or of any State may order any increase in tax or 
        other revenue to enforce this article.
            (7)(A) The amendment shall be effective after ratification 
        by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States and 
        shall be phased in beginning with the first fiscal year 
        commencing six or more months after ratification.
            (B) Within three months after ratification, Congress shall 
        determine, or cause to be determined, the total outlays, the 
        total receipts, and the resulting deficit of the United States 
        for the fiscal year in which ratification occurred.
            (C) The first fiscal year deficit shall not exceed eighty 
        percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which 
        ratification occurred.
            (D) The second fiscal year deficit shall not exceed sixty 
        percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which 
        ratification occurred.
            (E) The third fiscal year deficit shall not exceed forty 
        percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which 
        ratification occurred.
            (F) The fourth fiscal year deficit shall not exceed twenty 
        percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which 
        ratification occurred.
            (G) The fifth phase-in fiscal year deficit, and all years 
        thereafter, shall have no deficit.
                                 <all>
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