[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 55 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
   2d Session
H. J. RES. 55


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2015

Mr. Brat introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

                              May 31, 2016

Additional sponsors: Mr. Ribble, Mr. Amash, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
Gosar, Mr. Perry, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Massie, Mr. Mooney of 
 West Virginia, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Clawson 
  of Florida, Mr. Jones, Mr. Posey, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. 
  Rohrabacher, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Harris, Mr. Labrador, Mr. Rigell, Mr. 
Yoho, Mr. Gowdy, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Messer, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Palazzo, Mr. 
 Webster of Florida, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mrs. Love, Mr. 
  Moolenaar, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Walker, Mr. Zeldin, Mr. 
Bishop of Michigan, Mr. Rokita, Mr. Marino, Mr. Rice of South Carolina, 
Mr. Salmon, Mr. Byrne, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Buck, Mr. Jordan, 
Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Bridenstine, Mr. Blum, Mr. Stivers, Mr. DesJarlais, 
  Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Garrett, Mr. Guinta, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. 
  Fincher, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Ratcliffe, Mr. Franks of 
          Arizona, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Renacci, and Mr. Trott

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                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United 
                                States.

    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. Expenditures and receipts shall be balanced, which may 
occur over more than one year to accommodate economic conditions. 
Expenditures shall include all expenditures of the United States except 
those for payment of debt, and receipts shall include all receipts of 
the United States except those derived from borrowing.
    ``Section 2. For emergency situations two-thirds of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate may for limited times authorize 
expenditures exceeding those pursuant to rules established under 
section 1. Debts incurred from such expenditures shall be paid as soon 
as practicable.
    ``Section 3. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by 
appropriate legislation, which shall allow not more than ten years 
after ratification to comply with section 1.''.
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