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

Constitutional Amendment

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress authorizes the excess by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing.

The amendment also:

• prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the economic output of the United States unless two-thirds of each chamber of Congress provides a specific increase in outlays above this amount;
• requires a three-fourths roll call vote of each chamber of Congress to increase the public debt limit;
• requires a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber of Congress to increase revenue;
• requires the President to transmit to Congress a proposed balanced budget each year and prohibits the President from being compensated if the requirement is not met; and
• requires Congress to consider and approve a balanced budget each year and prohibits Members of Congress from being compensated if the requirement is not met.

Congress may waive these requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.

The amendment prohibits a court from entering an order in any action that results in an increase in the collection of revenue.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 98 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 98

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 8, 2017

   Mr. Ratcliffe 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.

    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 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:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed 
total receipts for that fiscal year, unless two-thirds 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.
    ``Sec. 2. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed 18 
percent of economic output of the United States, unless two-thirds of 
each House of Congress shall provide for a specific increase of outlays 
above this amount.
    ``Sec. 3. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the 
public shall not be increased unless three-fourths of the whole number 
of each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall 
vote.
    ``Sec. 4. Prior to each fiscal year, by not later than such date as 
Congress may by law require, the President shall transmit to Congress a 
proposed budget for the United States Government for that fiscal year 
in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts. If the President 
fails to transmit to Congress a proposed budget which meets the 
requirements of the previous sentence by the date required by Congress, 
the President may not receive any compensation for his services for any 
month which follows that date until the President transmits to Congress 
a proposed budget which meets such requirements.
    ``Sec. 5. For each fiscal year, by not later than such date as 
Congress may by law require, Congress shall consider and approve a 
budget for the United States Government which meets the requirements of 
section 4 of this article. If Congress fails to approve a budget which 
meets such requirements by the date required by Congress, Members of 
Congress may not receive any compensation for their services for any 
month which follows that date until Congress approves a budget which 
meets such requirements.
    ``Sec. 6. A bill to increase revenue shall not become law unless 
two-thirds of the whole number of each House shall provide by law for 
such an increase by a rollcall vote.
    ``Sec. 7. The 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 is engaged in military conflict which causes an 
imminent and serious military threat to national security and is so 
declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole 
number of each House, which becomes law. Any such waiver must identify 
and be limited to the specific excess or increase for that fiscal year 
made necessary by the identified military conflict.
    ``Sec. 8. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article by 
appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and 
receipts.
    ``Sec. 9. A court may not enter an order in any action, including 
for purposes of enforcing this article, that results in an increase in 
the collection of revenue.
    ``Sec. 10. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the United 
States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total outlays 
shall include all outlays of the United States Government except for 
those for repayment of debt principal.
    ``Sec. 11. This article shall take effect beginning with the 
seventh fiscal year beginning after its ratification.''.
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