[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 11 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 11

  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
                      balance the Federal budget.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2011

Mr. Broun of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Duncan of 
 Tennessee, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. Jones, 
Mr. Pitts, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Long, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. West, 
 Mr. Graves of Missouri, and Mr. Bass of New Hampshire) 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 
                      balance the Federal budget.

    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 two-thirds of the whole 
number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific 
excess of outlays over receipts by a roll call vote.
    ``Section 2. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the 
public shall not be increased, unless two-thirds of the whole number of 
each House shall provide by law for such an increase by a roll call 
vote.
    ``Section 3. Outlays for the total budget may not exceed the 
previous fiscal years' outlays plus population growth and inflation, 
unless two-thirds of the whole number of each House shall provide for 
such increase by a roll call 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 in which total outlays do not exceed 
total receipts.
    ``Section 5. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless 
approved by two-thirds of the whole number of each House by a roll call 
vote.
    ``Section 6. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article 
for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect, with a 
vote of a majority of both houses.
    ``Section 7. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article 
by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays and 
receipts.
    ``Section 8. All outlays above revenues from the previous fiscal 
year must be accounted for in the outlays and budgets of the following 
fiscal year.
    ``Section 9. All surplus revenues at the end of a fiscal year shall 
be allocated to a fund to be returned to the taxpayers. The method of 
return to the taxpayers must be determined by legislation before the 
end of the subsequent fiscal year.
    ``Section 10. Total receipts shall include all receipts of the 
United States Government except those derived from borrowing. Total 
outlays shall include all outlays of the United States Government 
including those for debt service and other debt functions.
    ``Section 11. This article shall take effect beginning with the 
second fiscal year beginning after its ratification.''.
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