[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 39 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S3427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


SENATE RESOLUTION 82--TO PETITION THE STATES TO CONVENE A CONFERENCE OF 
                               THE STATES

  Mr. BROWN (for himself and Mr. Helms) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 82

       Whereas Article I of the Constitution of the United States 
     of America provides that the Congress is vested with the 
     authority to lay and collect taxes, to pay the debts of the 
     United States, to borrow money on the credit of the United 
     States, and to appropriate money from the Treasury;
       Whereas for the past quarter century Congress has been 
     unable to balance the Nation's budget in any year;
       Whereas the President of the United States has submitted a 
     budget which increases the deficit in future years;
       Whereas Members of Congress have been unable to agree on 
     language for an Amendment to the Constitution which would 
     require a balanced budget; and
       Whereas Congress has therefore attempted to deny the 
     several States of the United States the opportunity to vote 
     on a Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced budget: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That Congress hereby petitions the several States 
     of the United States of America to convene a Conference of 
     the States for the express and exclusive purpose of drafting 
     an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
     requiring a balanced budget and prohibiting the imposition of 
     unfunded mandates on the States, and that such States then 
     consider whether it is necessary for the States to convene a 
     Constitutional Convention pursuant to Article V of the 
     Constitution of the United States in order to adopt such 
     Amendment.

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