[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 77 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. J. RES. 77

  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
 authorize the President to reduce or disapprove any appropriation or 
authorization of new direct spending in any bill presented by Congress.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 2006

   Mr. Stearns 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 
 authorize the President to reduce or disapprove any appropriation or 
authorization of new direct spending in any bill presented by Congress.

    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. The President may reduce or disapprove any 
appropriation or authorization of new direct spending in any bill, 
order, resolution, or vote, which is presented to the President under 
section 7 of Article I.
    ``Section 2. Any legislation that the President approves and signs, 
after being amended pursuant to section 1, shall become law as so 
modified.
    ``The President shall return those portions of the legislation that 
contain reduced or disapproved appropriations or disapproved 
authorization of new direct spending with objections to the House where 
such legislation originated.
    ``Congress may separately consider any reduced or disapproved 
appropriations or disapproved authorization of new direct spending in 
the manner prescribed under section 7 of Article I for bills 
disapproved by the President.
    ``Section 3. This article shall take effect on the first day of the 
first session of Congress beginning after the date of ratification.''.
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