IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 981 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 
should reduce and maintain the Federal unified budget deficit at or 
below 3 percent of gross domestic product. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 7, 2026 
Mr. HUIZENGA (for himself, Mr. PETERS, Mr. SMUCKER, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. 
ARRINGTON, Mr. CASE, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. PANETTA, Mrs. HOUCHIN, 
Ms. PEREZ, Mr. MOORE of Utah, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. JOHNSON of 
South Dakota, Mr. GOLDEN of Maine, and Mr. ESTES) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, 
and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Rules, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States should reduce and maintain the Fed-
eral unified budget deficit at or below 3 percent of gross 
domestic product. 
Whereas reducing annual deficits to 3 percent of gross do-
mestic product has attracted bipartisan support as a tar-
get to stabilize the national debt; 
Whereas the budget deficit was $1,800,000,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2025, or roughly 6 percent of gross domestic prod-
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•HRES 981 IH 
uct (GDP), even in the absence of major new emergency 
spending; 
Whereas the national debt held by the public now stands at 
nearly $31,000,000,000,000; 
Whereas interest payments on the national debt are now pro-
jected to total more than $1,000,000,000,000, the high-
est level in American history and more than total defense 
spending; 
Whereas the rising deficits and debt represent a threat to na-
tional security, economic growth, and future generations; 
Whereas rising deficits also threaten to increase interest rates 
and the cost of living, reduce the government’s flexibility 
to respond to fiscal emergencies, and create risks of a fis-
cal crisis; 
Whereas the Federal budget ran a sub-3 percent deficit-to- 
GDP in 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2005, 
2006, 2007, 2014, and 2015; 
Whereas the Federal Government ran a surplus in 1998, 
1999, 2000, and 2001; 
Whereas deficit reduction is best achieved when aiming to-
ward a manageable, meaningful target; and 
Whereas Congress has a bipartisan responsibility to enact fis-
cal policies that promote long-term economic growth and 
to safeguard future generations, and to be ready for fu-
ture emergencies: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) Congress should adopt a fiscal target to re-
duce the Federal budget deficit to 3 percent of gross 
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•HRES 981 IH 
domestic product (in this resolution referred to as 
‘‘the target’’) or less as soon as possible and no later 
than the end of fiscal year 2030; 
(2) following the achievement of the target, 
Congress should continue to pursue further deficit 
reduction with the goal of achieving a balanced Fed-
eral budget; 
(3) the President should submit budgets de-
signed to create a path to meet and sustain the tar-
get; 
(4) the congressional budget resolution should 
set allocations consistent with meeting the target on 
schedule; 
(5) the House Committee on the Budget 
should, within 180 days, recommend enforcement 
options for consideration, which may include points 
of order and a backstop mechanism for when the 
target is not projected to be met; 
(6) the House Committee on Rules should, 
within 180 days, recommend changes to the House 
rules to ensure that the target can be met, including 
ensuring that House rules for budget enforcement 
are difficult to waive, and that enforcement of the 
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 is difficult to 
waive; 
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•HRES 981 IH 
(7) the Congressional Budget Office should in-
clude statements within its cost estimates for major 
legislation that demonstrate how the legislation af-
fects consistency toward the target under a current 
law baseline; 
(8) the Joint Committee on Taxation is encour-
aged to provide supplemental analysis of whether 
major legislation advances or impedes progress to-
ward the target; and 
(9) efforts to meet the target should examine 
changes to address current levels and the growth of 
discretionary appropriations, direct spending, and 
revenues and the gap between current revenues and 
expenditures of the Federal Government that avoid 
timing shifts, reclassifications, or other budgetary 
gimmicks. 
Æ 
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