Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Bill: 115-hjres-119
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brat, Dave [R-VA-7]
Introduced: 2017-10-23
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Budget deficits and national debt

Constitution and constitutional amendments

Legislative rules and procedure
Latest action: action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-10-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Constitutional Amendment </b></p> <p>This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring federal expenditures and receipts to be balanced, excluding expenditures for payment of debt and receipts derived from borrowing. The requirement may be met over more than one year to accommodate economic conditions.</p> <p>In emergency situations, two-thirds of the House of Representatives and the Senate may authorize expenditures to exceed receipts for a limited time. Debts from emergency expenditures must be paid as soon as practicable. </p> <p>Congress may enforce the article with legislation, which must require compliance within 10 years of ratification. </p>

tv_txt: IA 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. J. RES. 119 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 23, 2017 Mr. Brat (for himself, Mr. Sanford , Mr. Gosar , Mr. Meadows , Mr. DesJarlais , Mr. Palazzo , Mr. Sensenbrenner , Mr. Guthrie , Mr. Massie , Mr. Griffith , Mr. Bishop of Michigan , Mr. Mooney of West Virginia , Mr. Carter of Georgia , Mr. Webster of Florida , and Mr. Katko ) submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution 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:  — 1. Expenditures and receipts shall be balanced, which may occur over more than one year to accommodate economic conditions. Expenditures shall include all expenditures of the United States except those for payment of debt, and receipts shall include all receipts of the United States except those derived from borrowing. 2. For emergency situations two-thirds of the House of Representatives and the Senate may for limited times authorize expenditures exceeding those pursuant to rules established under section 1. Debts incurred from such expenditures shall be paid as soon as practicable. 3. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation, which shall allow not more than ten years after ratification to comply with section 1. .