Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget.

IA 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 2 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 9, 2023 Mr. BUCHANAN submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 1 of the United States of America in Congress assembled 2 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol- 3 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con- 4 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 5 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 6 ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 7 States: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:06 Jan 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ2.IH HJ2 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HJ 2 IH ‘‘ARTICLE — 1 ‘‘SECTION 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall 2 not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless two- 3 thirds of the duly chosen and sworn Members of each 4 House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific ex- 5 cess of outlays over receipts by a rollcall vote. 6 ‘‘SECTION 2. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall 7 not exceed 18 percent of the gross domestic product of 8 the United States for the calendar year ending before the 9 beginning of such fiscal year, unless two-thirds of the duly 10 chosen and sworn Members of each House of Congress 11 shall provide by law for a specific amount in excess of such 12 18 percent by a rollcall vote. 13 ‘‘SECTION 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President 14 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the 15 United States Government for that fiscal year in which— 16 ‘‘(1) total outlays do not exceed total receipts; 17 and 18 ‘‘(2) total outlays do not exceed 18 percent of 19 the gross domestic product of the United States for 20 the calendar year ending before the beginning of 21 such fiscal year. 22 ‘‘SECTION 4. Any bill that imposes a new tax or in- 23 creases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate 24 amount of revenue may pass only by a two-thirds majority 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:06 Jan 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ2.IH HJ2 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HJ 2 IH of the duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of 1 Congress by a rollcall vote. For the purpose of determining 2 any increase in revenue under this section, there shall be 3 excluded any increase resulting from the lowering of the 4 statutory rate of any tax. 5 ‘‘SECTION 5. The limit on the debt of the United 6 States shall not be increased, unless three-fifths of the 7 duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of Con- 8 gress shall provide for such an increase by a rollcall vote. 9 ‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress may waive the provisions 10 of sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of this article for any fiscal year 11 in which a declaration of war against a nation-state is in 12 effect and in which a majority of the duly chosen and 13 sworn Members of each House of Congress shall provide 14 for a specific excess by a rollcall vote. 15 ‘‘SECTION 7. The Congress may waive the provisions 16 of sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of this article in any fiscal year 17 in which the United States is engaged in a military conflict 18 that causes an imminent and serious military threat to 19 national security and is so declared by three-fifths of the 20 duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of Con- 21 gress by a rollcall vote. Such suspension must identify and 22 be limited to the specific excess of outlays for that fiscal 23 year made necessary by the identified military conflict. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:06 Jan 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ2.IH HJ2 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HJ 2 IH ‘‘SECTION 8. No court of the United States or of any 1 State shall order any increase in revenue to enforce this 2 article. 3 ‘‘SECTION 9. Total receipts shall include all receipts 4 of the United States Government except those derived 5 from borrowing. Total outlays shall include all outlays of 6 the United States Government except those for repayment 7 of debt principal. 8 ‘‘SECTION 10. The Congress shall have power to en- 9 force and implement this article by appropriate legislation, 10 which may rely on estimates of outlays, receipts, and gross 11 domestic product. 12 ‘‘SECTION 11. This article shall take effect beginning 13 with the fifth fiscal year beginning after its ratification.’’. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:06 Jan 10, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HJ2.IH HJ2 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB