IA
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 1
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United
States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. HYDE, Mr. TATE, and Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas
(for themselves, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. MICA, Mr. BACHUS, Mr.
BAKER of California, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. BARR, Mr. BARRETT of Ne-
braska, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BLUTE, Mr.
BONILLA, Mr. BONO, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. BUNNING of Kentucky, Mr.
BURR, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CAMP, Mr. CANADY,
Mr. CASTLE, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CHRYSLER, Mr.
COBURN, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. COOLEY, Mr. COX,
Mr. CRANE, Mr. CREMEANS, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Ms.
DANNER, Mr. DORNAN, Mr. DUNCAN, Ms. DUNN, Mr. EMERSON, Mr.
ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. EWING, Mr.
FAWELL, Mr. FLANAGAN, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. FORBES, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr.
FOX, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. FRISA, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. GEKAS, Mr.
GILCHREST, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. GOSS,
Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. HANCOCK, Mr. HASTERT, Mr.
HASTINGS
of Washington, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. HEINEMAN, Mr.
HERGER, Mr. HILLEARY, Mr. HOBSON, Mr. HORN, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr.
HUNTER, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. ISTOOK,
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JONES, Mr. KIM, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr.
KNOLLENBERG, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. LATHAM, Mr.
LATOURETTE, Mr. LEACH, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. LIGHTFOOT,
Mr. LINDER, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. MCCOL-
LUM, Mr. MCCRERY, Ms. MOLINARI, Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas, Mr. MIL-
LER of Florida, Mr. MOORHEAD, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. NEUMANN, Mr.
NUSSLE, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. POMBO, Mr. PORTMAN, Ms.
PRYCE, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. QUILLEN, Mr. QUINN, Mr. RIGGS, Mr.
ROTH, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. SCHAEFER, Mr.
SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SHAW, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SMITH of
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New Jersey, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. SOLO-
MON, Mr. SPENCE, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. STOCKMAN, Mr. STUMP, Mr. TAL-
ENT, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. THORNBERRY,
Mr. TIAHRT, Mrs. WALDHOLTZ, Mr. WAMP, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylva-
nia, Mr. WELLER, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. WICKER, Mr. ZIMMER, Mr.
CRAPO, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. PAXON, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. COBLE, and
Mr. EHRLICH) introduced the following joint resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing a balanced budget 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 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:
‘‘ARTICLE —
‘‘SECTION 1. Prior to each fiscal year, Congress shall,
by law, adopt a statement of receipts and outlays for such
fiscal year in which total outlays are not greater than total
receipts. Congress may, by law, amend that statement pro-
vided revised outlays are not greater than revised receipts.
Congress may provide in that statement for a specific ex-
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cess 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 Presi-
dent shall ensure that actual outlays do not exceed the
outlays set forth in such statement.
‘‘SECTION 2. No bill to increase receipts shall become
law unless approved by a three-fifths majority of the whole
number of each House of Congress.
‘‘SECTION 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President
shall transmit to Congress a proposed statement of re-
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. 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, adopted by
a majority of the whole number of each House, which be-
comes law.
‘‘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.
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‘‘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. All votes taken by the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate under this Article shall be roll-
call votes.
‘‘SECTION 8. Congress shall enforce and implement
this Article by appropriate legislation.
‘‘SECTION 9. This Article shall take effect for the fis-
cal year 2002 or for the second fiscal year beginning after
its ratification, whichever is later.’’.
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