Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget.
Latest action · Mar 4, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
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 4, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
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 vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing.
The amendment prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product of the United States, unless two-thirds of each chamber of Congress provides for a specific increase above this amount.
The amendment requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress to impose a new tax, increase the statutory rate of any tax, or increase the aggregate amount of revenue. It requires a three-fifths vote of each chamber to increase the limit on the debt of the United States.
The President must submit an annual budget in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts and 18% of the gross domestic product of the United States.
The amendment prohibits a court from ordering a revenue increase to enforce the requirements.
Congress may waive specified requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or the United States is engaged in a military conflict that causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
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 4, 2021 |
| Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee | Referred Mar 4, 2021 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Mar 4, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
- Jan 4, 2021Introduced in House
- Jan 4, 2021Referred 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. 167, no. 2, January 4, 2021, page H56.
Related bills 6
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HJRES 2 | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget. | Reintroduced Bill | Jan 9, 2023 |
| HJRES 3 | Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. | Related bill | Mar 4, 2021 |
| HJRES 3 | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget. | Cross-Congress related bill | Jan 3, 2025 |
| HJRES 5 | Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget. | Reintroduction of | Jan 3, 2019 |
| SJRES 6 | A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget. | Identical bill | Feb 3, 2021 |
| HJRES 32 | Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. | Related bill | Mar 19, 2021 |
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 relative to balancing the budget.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Economics and Public Finance.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 4, 2021Introduced 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.
