Restoring America's Dignity Act of 2011 - Increases the public debt limit by $750 billion, effective upon adoption by the Congress of a balanced budget constitutional amendment in accordance with the requirements of this Act. Increases the public debt limit by an additional $750 billion, effective upon ratification of such amendment.
Requires such a balanced budget amendment to provide, among other things, that: (1) total outlays of the United States (except those for repayment of debt principal) for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts (except those derived from borrowing) for that fiscal year; (2) such limitations may be suspended by a majority of the membership of both houses of Congress in the event of a declared war, or by 3/4 of the membership of Congress for any other fiscal year; (3) any bill increasing net gross federal tax receipts by levying a new tax or revenue source, or increasing the rate of any existing tax or revenue source, or by amending the terms of one or more then-existing taxes or revenue sources, shall not become law unless approved by 3/5 of the membership of Congress; (4) the President, in specified circumstances, shall have discretion to take necessary steps to ensure total outlays for that fiscal year do not exceed total receipts; (5) any Member of Congress, state governor, or state attorney general shall have standing and a cause of action to seek judicial enforcement of the amendment; and (6) after ratification of the amendment its requirements shall be phased in over 5 years according to a specified schedule.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2685 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2685
To increase the statutory limit on the public debt by $750,000,000,000
upon the adoption by Congress of a balanced budget constitutional
amendment and by an additional $750,000,000,000 upon ratification by
the States of that amendment.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 28, 2011
Mr. Brooks (for himself and Mr. Bachus) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the statutory limit on the public debt by $750,000,000,000
upon the adoption by Congress of a balanced budget constitutional
amendment and by an additional $750,000,000,000 upon ratification by
the States of that amendment.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Restoring America's Dignity Act of
2011''.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN THE STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE PUBLIC DEBT.
(a) Adoption.--Effective upon the adoption by the Congress of a
balanced budget constitutional amendment as described in section 3, the
statutory limit on the public debt set forth in section 3101(b) of
title 31, United States Code, is increased by $750,000,000,000.
(b) Ratification.--Effective upon the ratification by the States of
a balanced budget constitutional amendment as described in section 3,
the statutory limit on the public debt set forth in section 3101(b) of
title 31, United States Code, is increased by an additional
$750,000,000,000.
SEC. 3. REQUIRED PROVISIONS OF A BALANCED BUDGET CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT.
The balanced budget constitutional amendment that is referenced in
section 2 shall include the following provisions:
(1) Total outlays of the United States for any fiscal year
shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year. Total
receipts shall include all receipts of the United States except
those derived from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all
outlays of the United States except those for repayment of debt
principal. The United States shall have no fiscal year
deficits.
(2) The limitations imposed by the amendment may be
suspended by a majority of the membership of both houses of
Congress, by rollcall vote, for any fiscal year in which the
United States is in a war declared by Congress pursuant to
article I, section 8, or may be suspended by three-fourths of
the membership of Congress, by rollcall vote, for any other
fiscal year.
(3) Any bill that increases net gross tax receipts of the
United States by levying a new tax or revenue source, or
increasing the rate of any existing tax or revenue source, or
by amending the terms of one or more then-existing taxes or
revenue sources, shall not become law unless approved by three-
fifths of the membership of each House of Congress by a
rollcall vote.
(4) The Congress shall enforce and implement the amendment
by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of
outlays and receipts.
(5) In any fiscal year in which Congress does not suspend
the amendment pursuant to its terms and the President
determines that total budgeted outlays will exceed total
receipts, the President shall take such steps as the President
in his discretion deems are necessary to ensure total outlays
for that fiscal year do not exceed total receipts.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the President may not order any
increase in tax or other revenue to enforce the amendment. A
President's intentional noncompliance with this provision is an
impeachable offense.
(6) Any Member of Congress and any Governor or Attorney
General of any State shall have standing and a cause of action
to seek judicial enforcement of the amendment. No court of the
United States or of any State may order any increase in tax or
other revenue to enforce this article.
(7)(A) The amendment shall be effective after ratification
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States and
shall be phased in beginning with the first fiscal year
commencing six or more months after ratification.
(B) Within three months after ratification, Congress shall
determine, or cause to be determined, the total outlays, the
total receipts, and the resulting deficit of the United States
for the fiscal year in which ratification occurred.
(C) The first fiscal year deficit shall not exceed eighty
percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which
ratification occurred.
(D) The second fiscal year deficit shall not exceed sixty
percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which
ratification occurred.
(E) The third fiscal year deficit shall not exceed forty
percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which
ratification occurred.
(F) The fourth fiscal year deficit shall not exceed twenty
percent of the deficit for the fiscal year in which
ratification occurred.
(G) The fifth phase-in fiscal year deficit, and all years
thereafter, shall have no deficit.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
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