[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 3 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. J. RES. 3

    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
                   relative to balancing the budget.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2011

Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. McCain, 
Mr. Grassley, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Burr, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Ensign, 
Mr. Isakson, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Johanns, Mr. Chambliss, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. 
Portman, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Hoeven, and Mr. Kirk) introduced the following 
joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
    Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
                   relative to balancing the 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:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed 
total receipts for that fiscal year, unless two-thirds of the duly 
chosen and sworn Members of each House of Congress shall provide by law 
for a specific excess of outlays over receipts by a rollcall vote.
    ``Section 2. Total outlays for any fiscal year may not exceed 20 
percent of the gross domestic product of the United States for the 
calendar year ending before the beginning of such fiscal year, unless 
two-thirds of the duly chosen and sworn Members of each House of 
Congress shall provide by law for a specific amount in excess of such 
20 percent 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 Federal taxes shall become law 
unless approved by two-thirds of the duly chosen and sworn Members of 
each House of Congress by a rollcall vote.
    ``Section 5. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article 
for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The 
provisions of this article may be waived for any fiscal year 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 duly 
chosen and sworn Members of each House of Congress, which becomes law.
    ``Section 6. The Congress shall enforce and implement this article 
by appropriate legislation, which may rely on estimates of outlays, 
receipts, and gross domestic product.
    ``Section 7. 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 
except for those for repayment of debt principal.
    ``Section 8. This article shall take effect beginning with the 
fourth fiscal year beginning after its ratification.''.
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