IA
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 50
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require
a balanced budget.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 11, 1997
Mr. POMEROY introduced 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 to require a balanced 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 within seven years after the date of its submission
for ratification:
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‘‘ARTICLE —
‘‘SECTION 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall
not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-
fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall
provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts
by a rollcall vote.
‘‘SECTION 2. The limit on the debt of the United
States held by the public shall not be increased, unless
three-fifths of the whole number of each House shall pro-
vide by law for such an increase by a rollcall 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
total outlays do not exceed total receipts.
‘‘SECTION 4. Congress may waive the provisions of
this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of
war is in effect. The provisions of this article may be
waived for any fiscal year in which the United States faces
an imminent and serious military threat to national secu-
rity and is so declared by a joint resolution which becomes
law. The provisions may be waived for any fiscal year in
which the President certifies to Congress and Congress af-
firms by a joint resolution that the United States is experi-
encing an economic recession.
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‘‘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.
Total receipts shall not include receipts (including attrib-
utable interest) for the financing of benefits and adminis-
trative expenses of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors
Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insur-
ance Trust Fund, or any successor funds, and total out-
lays shall not include outlays for disbursement of the Fed-
eral Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund for ben-
efits and administrative expenses and the Federal Disabil-
ity Insurance Trust Fund for benefits and administrative
expenses, or any successor funds. The receipts and outlays
referred to in the preceding sentence shall be limited to
receipts and outlays that provide old-age and survivor cash
benefits for individuals based upon their earnings and de-
pendents of such earners or provide disability cash bene-
fits for disabled individuals based upon their earning and
dependents of such earners.
‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress shall enforce and imple-
ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely
on estimates of outlays and receipts.
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‘‘SECTION 7. This article shall take effect beginning
with fiscal year 2002 or with the second fiscal year begin-
ning after its ratification, whichever is later.’’
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