[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 54 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 54

  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
provide for a balanced budget for the United States Government and for 
greater accountability in the enactment of tax legislation and to allow 
                  an item veto of appropriation bills.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 1993

    Mr. Zimmer introduced 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 to 
provide for a balanced budget for the United States Government and for 
greater accountability in the enactment of tax legislation and to allow 
                  an item veto of appropriation bills.

    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 in all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution if 
ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States 
within seven years after its submission to the States for ratification:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. Prior to each fiscal year, the Congress and the 
President shall agree on an estimate of total receipts for that fiscal 
year by enactment into law of a joint resolution devoted soley to that 
subject. Total outlays for that year shall not exceed the level of 
estimated receipts set forth in such joint resolution, unless two-
thirds of the total membership of each House of Congress shall provide, 
by a rollcall vote, for a specific excess of outlays over estimated 
receipts.
    ``Section 2. The public debt of the United States shall not be 
increased unless two-thirds of the total membership of each House shall 
provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall vote.
    ``Section 3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall 
transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the United States 
Government for that fiscal year in which total outlays do not exceed 
total receipts.
    ``Section 4. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless 
approved by two-thirds of the total membership of each House by a 
rollcall vote.
    ``Section 5. The provisions of this article are waived for any 
fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect.
    ``Section 6. 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 for those for repayment 
of the debt principal.
    ``Section 7. The President shall have the power to disapprove any 
appropriation or provision and approve any other appropriation or 
provision in the same appropriation bill. In such case he shall, in 
signing the bill, designate the appropriations and provisions 
disapproved, and shall return a copy of such appropriations and 
provisions, with his objections, to the House in which the bill shall 
have orginated; and the same proceedings shall then be had as in the 
case of other bills disapproved by the President.
    ``Section 8. Sections 1 through 6 of this article shall take effect 
beginning with the second fiscal year beginning after its ratification 
and section 7 of this article shall take effect upon ratification.''.

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