[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT RESOLUTION OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 1999

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, on the first day of the 106th Congress, I 
introduced H.J. Res. 1--the Balanced Budget Amendment Resolution of 
1999.
  Passage of this measure is of great importance to my State of 
Colorado. In fact Colorado, by adoption of House Joint Resolution 99--
1040 in both House of the Colorado General Assembly, supports H.J. Res. 
1 as a matter of official state policy.
  I have spoken many times on the floor of the urgent need for a 
balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Today I urge my 
colleagues to once again consider the necessity of this amendment. 
Furthermore I commend the leadership of Colorado State Representative 
Steve Tool, who is also my State Representative, and Senate President 
Ray Powers, for sponsoring H.J. Res. 99-1040. These statement have 
added great credibility and weight to the argument in favor of a 
balanced budget amendment.
  Accordingly, I submit for the Record Colorado H.J. Res. 99-1040 and 
urge colleagues to consider the thoughtful opinion of the State of 
Colorado.

                     House Joint Resolution 99-1040

       Whereas, the federal budget has been balanced only once 
     since 1969, and federal public debt now exceeds $5.5 
     trillion, an amount equaling approximately $20,000 for every 
     man, woman, and child in America; and
       Whereas, Chronic deficit spending demonstrates an 
     unwillingness or inability on the part of the executive and 
     legislative branches of the federal government to spend no 
     more than the amount of available revenues; and
       Whereas, Fiscal irresponsibility at the federal level 
     lowers our standard of living, destroys jobs, and endangers 
     economic opportunity now and for those in the next 
     generation; and
       Whereas, The federal government's unlimited ability to 
     borrow money to finance its deficits raises concerns directed 
     to the fundamental structure and responsibilities of 
     government, making such fiscal policies an appropriate 
     subject for limitation in the United States constitution; and
       Whereas, The United States constitution vests the ultimate 
     responsibility for changing the terms of that charter with 
     the people, as represented by their elected state 
     legislatures, and opposition by a small minority in the 
     United States Congress has consistently thwarted the will of 
     the people that a balanced budget amendment be submitted to 
     the states for ratification; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the sixty-
     second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate 
     concurring herein,
       That we, members of the Sixty-second General Assembly, 
     request the Congress of the United States to expeditiously 
     pass and submit to the legislatures of the fifty states for 
     their ratification an amendment to the United States 
     constitution requiring that, in the absence of a national 
     emergency the total of all federal appropriations for any 
     given fiscal year not exceed the total of all estimated 
     federal revenues for the fiscal year. Be it
       Further resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be 
     sent to each member of Colorado's delegation to the United 
     States Congress.

     

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