[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 53 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 53

  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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 12, 1999

Mr. Istook (for himself, Mr. Armey, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cox, 
  Mrs. Cubin, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Doolittle, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Goode, Mr. 
Hall of Texas, Mr. Herger, Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas, Mr. 
 LaHood, Mr. McCrery, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
 Petri, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Schaffer, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Talent, 
  Mr. Terry, Mr. Burton of Indiana, and Mr. Tancredo) 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.

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

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed 
total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole 
number of each House of Congress shall by a rollcall vote provide by 
law for a specified excess of outlays over receipts.
    ``Section 2. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the 
United States Government except those derived from borrowing, and 
except for any suprlus within the Federal Old-Age and Survivors 
Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. 
Total outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government 
except for those for repayment of debt principal.
    ``Section 3. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the 
public shall not be increased, unless three-fifths of the whole number 
of each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a rollcall 
vote.
    ``Section 4. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall 
transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the United States 
Government for that fiscal year which conforms to the requirements of 
this article.
    ``Section 5. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless 
approved by a majority of the whole number of each House by a rollcall 
vote.
    ``Section 6. Solely to the extent necessary for additional military 
funding, the Congress may waive the provisions of this article for any 
fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect, or in which the 
United States is engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent 
and serious military threat to national security and is so declared by 
a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole number of each 
House, which becomes law.
    ``Section 7. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article 
by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and 
receipts.
    ``Section 8. This article shall take effect beginning with the 
first fiscal year beginning after its ratification.''.
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