IA 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 40 
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring 
that the Federal budget be balanced. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 30, 2019 
Mr. LOUDERMILK (for himself, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. 
HICE of Georgia, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. WEBER of Texas, 
Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. KEVIN HERN of Oklahoma, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, and 
Mr. WRIGHT) submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States requiring that the Federal budget be balanced. 
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 fol-
lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con-
stitution 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: 
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‘‘ARTICLE — 
‘‘SECTION 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall 
not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year. 
‘‘SECTION 2. Total outlays shall not exceed 18 per-
cent of the gross domestic product of the United States 
for the calendar year ending prior to the beginning of such 
fiscal year. 
‘‘SECTION 3. The Congress may provide for suspen-
sion of the limitations imposed by section 1 or 2 of this 
article for any fiscal year for which two-thirds of the whole 
number of each House shall provide, by a rollcall vote, for 
a specific excess of outlays over receipts or over 18 percent 
of the gross domestic product of the United States for the 
calendar year ending prior to the beginning of such fiscal 
year. 
‘‘SECTION 4. Any bill to levy a new tax or increase 
the rate of any tax shall not become law unless approved 
by two-thirds of the whole number of each House of Con-
gress by a rollcall vote. 
‘‘SECTION 5. The limit on the debt of the United 
States held by the public shall not be increased, unless 
two-thirds of the whole number of each House of Congress 
shall provide for such an increase by a rollcall vote. 
‘‘SECTION 6. Any Member of Congress shall have 
standing and a cause of action to seek judicial enforce-
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ment of this article, when authorized to do so by a petition 
signed by one-third of the Members of either House of 
Congress. No court of the United States or of any State 
shall order any increase in revenue to enforce this article. 
‘‘SECTION 7. The Congress shall have the power to 
enforce this article by appropriate legislation. 
‘‘SECTION 8. 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. 
‘‘SECTION 9. This article shall become effective begin-
ning with the tenth fiscal year commencing after its ratifi-
cation by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 
States.’’. 
Æ 
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