IA
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 115
Proposing a balanced budget and line-item veto amendment to the
Constitution of the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 18, 1993
Mr. GRAMS introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing a balanced budget and line-item veto amendment
to the Constitution of the United States.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-
thirds of each House concurring therein), That the follow-
ing article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitu-
tion of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents
and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by
the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States with-
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in seven years after the date of its submission for
ratification:
‘‘ARTICLE —
‘‘SECTION 1. Prior to each fiscal year, Congress shall
adopt a statement of receipts and outlays for such fiscal
year in which total outlays are not greater than total re-
ceipts. Congress may amend such statement provided re-
vised outlays are not greater than revised receipts. Con-
gress may provide in such statement for a specific excess
of outlays over receipts by a vote directed solely to that
subject in which three-fifths of the whole number of each
House agree to such excess. Congress and the President
shall ensure that actual outlays do not exceed the outlays
set forth in such statement.
‘‘SECTION 2. Total receipts for any fiscal year set
forth in the statement adopted pursuant to the first sec-
tion of this Article shall not increase by a rate greater
than the rate of increase in national income in the second
prior fiscal year, unless a three-fifths majority of the whole
number of each House of Congress shall have passed a
bill directed solely to approving specific additional receipts
and such bill has become law.
‘‘SECTION 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President
shall transmit to Congress a proposed statement of re-
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ceipts and outlays for such fiscal year consistent with the
provisions of this Article.
‘‘SECTION 4. Congress may waive the provisions of
this Article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of
war is in effect.
‘‘SECTION 5. Total receipts shall include all receipts
of the United States except those derived from borrowing
and total outlays shall include all outlays of the United
States except those for the repayment of debt principal.
‘‘SECTION 6. The amount of Federal public debt as
of the first day of the second fiscal year beginning after
the ratification of this Article shall become a permanent
limit on such debt and there shall be no increase in such
amount unless three-fifths of the whole number of each
House of Congress shall have passed a bill approving such
increase and such bill has become law.
‘‘SECTION 7. The President shall have power, when
any bill, including any vote, resolution, or order, which
contains any item of spending authority, is presented to
him pursuant to section 7 of article I of this Constitution,
to separately approve, reduce, or disapprove any spending
provision, or part of any spending provision, contained
therein.
‘‘When the President exercises this power, he shall
signify in writing such portions of the bill he has approved
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and which portions he has reduced. These portions, to the
extent not reduced, shall then become a law. The Presi-
dent shall return with his objections any disapproved or
reduced portions of a bill to the House in which the bill
originated. The Congress shall separately reconsider each
such returned portion of the bill in the manner prescribed
for disapproved bills in section 7 of article I of this Con-
stitution. Any portion of a bill which shall not have been
returned or approved by the President within ten days
(Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to
him shall become a law, unless the Congress by their ad-
journment prevent its return, in which case it shall not
become a law.
‘‘SECTION 8. Items of spending authority are those
portions of a bill that appropriate money from the Treas-
ury or that otherwise authorize or limit the withdrawal
or obligation of money from the Treasury. Such items
shall include, without being limited to, items of appropria-
tions, spending authorizations, authority to borrow money
on the credit of the United States or otherwise, dedica-
tions of revenues, entitlements, uses of assets, insurance,
guarantees of borrowing, and any authority to incur obli-
gations.
‘‘SECTION 9. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this Arti-
cle shall take effect for the fiscal year 1997 or for the
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second fiscal year beginning after its ratification, which-
ever is later. Sections 7 and 8 of this article shall take
effect upon ratification of this article.’’.
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