[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 8 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 8

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
   requiring the submission of balanced Federal funds budgets by the 
  President and action by the Congress to provide revenues to offset 
                        Federal funds deficits.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 1993

    Mr. Archer 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 
   requiring the submission of balanced Federal funds budgets by the 
  President and action by the Congress to provide revenues to offset 
                        Federal funds deficits.

    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 hereby 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:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. (a) On or before the fifteenth day after the beginning 
of each regular session of the Congress, the President shall transmit 
to the Congress a budget which shall set forth separately--
            ``(1) his estimate of the receipts of the Government, other 
        than receipts of trust funds, during the ensuing fiscal year 
        under the laws then existing, and his recommendations with 
        respect to expenditures to be made by the Government, other 
        than expenditures from trust funds, during such ensuing fiscal 
        year, which shall not exceed his estimate of such receipts; and
            ``(2) his estimate of the receipts of Government trust 
        funds during such ensuing fiscal year under the laws then 
        existing, and his estimate and recommendations with respect to 
        expenditures from such trust funds during such ensuing fiscal 
        year.
The President may, from time to time, transmit revisions of his 
estimates of the receipts referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) and 
revisions of his estimates and recommendations with respect to 
expenditures referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), and shall include 
any necessary revision with respect to expenditures referred to in 
paragraph (1) so that his recommendations with respect to such 
expenditures do not exceed his estimate of the receipts referred to in 
paragraph (1).
    ``(b) In transmitting the budget for any fiscal year, the President 
may recommend measures for raising additional revenues and measures for 
the expenditure of all or part of such additional revenues.
    ``Section 2. On or before the last day of the second month 
following the close of each fiscal year, the President shall report to 
the Congress the actual amount of receipts and expenditures of the 
Government during such fiscal year, other than receipts and 
expenditures of trust funds.
    ``Section 3. (a) If, for the period of two consecutive fiscal 
years, beginning with the first fiscal year for which the report 
required by section 2 is made to the Congress, or for any period of two 
consecutive fiscal years thereafter following the close of the 
preceding two-fiscal-year period, the aggregate expenditures by the 
Government, other than expenditures from trust funds, exceed the 
aggregate receipts of the Government, other than receipts of trust 
funds, neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate shall, after 
receiving the report under section 2 for the second of such fiscal 
years, have power to pass any bill or other measure appropriating any 
moneys out of the general fund of the Treasury until such time as 
provisions of law have come into effect which will provide additional 
revenue, within a period of not more than twelve months thereafter, in 
an amount not less than the amount by which such expenditures exceeded 
such receipts.
    ``(b) During a war or other national emergency the provisions of 
subsection (a), and of so much of section 1 as requires the President 
to submit a budget in which recommended expenditures do not exceed 
estimated receipts, shall not apply with respect to any period if--
            ``(1) the President recommends to the Congress the 
        suspension of such provisions with respect to such period, and
            ``(2) the Congress by a two-thirds vote of each House 
        agrees to a resolution suspending such provisions with respect 
        to such period.
    ``Section 4. Section 1 of this article shall take effect on the 
first day of the first calendar year which begins after the 
ratification of this article. Sections 2 and 3 of this article shall 
apply with respect to fiscal years commencing after such first day.
    ``Section 5. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have 
been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures 
of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date 
of its submission to the States by the Congress.''.

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