IA 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 5 
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative 
to balancing the budget. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2017 
Mr. BUCHANAN 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 relative to balancing the budget. 
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, unless two- 
thirds of the duly chosen and sworn Members of each 
House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific ex-
cess of outlays over receipts by a roll call vote. 
‘‘SECTION 2. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall 
not exceed 18 percent of the gross domestic product of 
the United States for the calendar year ending before the 
beginning of such fiscal year, unless two-thirds of the duly 
chosen and sworn Members of each House of Congress 
shall provide by law for a specific amount in excess of such 
18 percent by a roll call vote. 
‘‘SECTION 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President 
shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the 
United States Government for that fiscal year in which— 
‘‘(1) total outlays do not exceed total receipts; 
and 
‘‘(2) total outlays do not exceed 18 percent of 
the gross domestic product of the United States for 
the calendar year ending before the beginning of 
such fiscal year. 
‘‘SECTION 4. Any bill that imposes a new tax or in-
creases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate 
amount of revenue may pass only by a two-thirds majority 
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of the duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of 
Congress by a roll call vote. For the purpose of deter-
mining any increase in revenue under this section, there 
shall be excluded any increase resulting from the lowering 
of the statutory rate of any tax. 
‘‘SECTION 5. The limit on the debt of the United 
States shall not be increased, unless three-fifths of the 
duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of Con-
gress shall provide for such an increase by a roll call vote. 
‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress may waive the provisions 
of sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of this article for any fiscal year 
in which a declaration of war against a nation-state is in 
effect and in which a majority of the duly chosen and 
sworn Members of each House of Congress shall provide 
for a specific excess by a roll call vote. 
‘‘SECTION 7. The Congress may waive the provisions 
of sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of this article in any fiscal year 
in which the United States is engaged in a military conflict 
that causes an imminent and serious military threat to 
national security and is so declared by three-fifths of the 
duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of Con-
gress by a roll call vote. Such suspension must identify 
and be limited to the specific excess of outlays for that 
fiscal year made necessary by the identified military con-
flict. 
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‘‘SECTION 8. No court of the United States or of any 
State shall order any increase in revenue to enforce this 
article. 
‘‘SECTION 9. Total receipts shall include all receipts 
of the United States Government except those derived 
from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of 
the United States Government except those for repayment 
of debt principal. 
‘‘SECTION 10. The Congress shall have power to en-
force and implement this article by appropriate legislation, 
which may rely on estimates of outlays, receipts, and gross 
domestic product. 
‘‘SECTION 11. This article shall take effect beginning 
with the fifth fiscal year beginning after its ratification.’’. 
Æ 
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