H.J.Res. 51 · 116th Congress
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
RatcliffeSponsor5 cosponsors · 5 R
2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress authorizes the excess by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Mar 14, 2019
Constitutional Amendment
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress authorizes the excess by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing.
The amendment also
- prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the economic output of the United States unless two-thirds of each chamber of Congress provides a specific increase in outlays above this amount,
- requires a three-fourths roll call vote of each chamber of Congress to increase the public debt limit,
- requires a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber of Congress to increase revenue,
- requires the President to transmit to Congress a proposed balanced budget each year and prohibits the President from being compensated if the requirement is not met, and
- requires Congress to consider and approve a balanced budget each year and prohibits Members of Congress from being compensated if the requirement is not met.
Congress may waive these requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.
The amendment prohibits a court from entering an order in any action that results in an increase in the collection of revenue.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Latest action (Mar 14, 2019): Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance · Origin: House · Introduced: Mar 14, 2019
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.