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H.J.Res. 56 · 112th Congress

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

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 112th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

JWR WalshSponsor
61 cosponsors · 61 R
RBR Bishop VBR Buchanan MBR Brooks JCR Chaffetz TFR Franks DHR Heller VHR Hartzler THR Huelskamp LLR Lance RLR Labrador KMR Marchant CMR McMorris Rodgers TMR Marino DRR Rehberg MSR Stutzman MBR Blackburn LBR Bucshon TCR Cole JCR Campbell JFR Flake PGR Gingrey TGR Graves TGR Griffin DIR Issa BLR Long MPR Pence MPR Pompeo TWR Walberg HCR Coble KCR Conaway JDR Duncan DLR Lamborn DMR McKinley MSR Simpson WAR Akin SCR Chabot BFR Farenthold JHR Hensarling GMR Miller JKR Kline RRR Ribble TRR Rokita SSR Scalise JAR Amash CMR Miller BJR Johnson JWR Wilson DBR Burton TGR Gowdy TMR McClintock AHR Harris JJR Jordan LJR Jenkins MMR Mulvaney BGR Goodlatte DSR Schweikert CLR Lummis JLR Lankford AWR West MAR Amodei DRR Ross

15 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Apr 7, 2011

Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

Prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the preceding calendar year unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess over such 18%.

Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually.

Prohibits any bill from becoming law that imposes a new tax or increases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate amount of revenue, unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber.

Requires a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber to increase the federal debt limit.

Authorizes waivers of these requirements: (1) when a declaration of war is in effect against a nation-state and Congress, by a majority roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess; or (2) under other specified circumstances involving military conflict, if Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes such waiver.

Prohibits a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

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

Latest action (Jul 11, 2011): Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

Policy area: Economics and Public Finance · Origin: House · Introduced: Apr 7, 2011

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.