Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that the Federal budget be balanced and that an increase in the Federal debt requires approval from a majority of the legislatures of the several States.
Latest action · Jan 12, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Progress
Where this resolution reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 6, 2015
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Constitutional Amendment
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year or 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product unless Congress authorizes the excess by a two-thirds vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing.
The amendment requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress to levy a new tax, increase the rate of any tax, or increase the debt limit. Approval by a majority of the state legislatures is required to increase the federal debt.
The amendment provides any Member of Congress with standing and a cause of action to seek judicial enforcement of this amendment if authorized by a petition signed by one-third of the Members of either house of Congress. Courts are prohibited from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this amendment.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jan 9, 2015.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-GA | Jody B. Hice | Jan 9, 2015 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jan 6, 2015 |
| Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee | Referred Jan 12, 2015 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 12, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- Jan 6, 2015Introduced in House
- Jan 6, 2015Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Research
What has been written about this resolution: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 1, January 6, 2015, page H49.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJRES 2 | A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that the Federal budget be balanced. | Related bill | Mar 16, 2016 |
| HJRES 85 | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that the Federal budget be balanced. | Related bill | Mar 3, 2016 |
Titles 1
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that the Federal budget be balanced and that an increase in the Federal debt requires approval from a majority of the legislatures of the several States.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Economics and Public Finance.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 6, 2015Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this resolution on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
