Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing of the budget and reducing the public debt.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 18 (legislative day, JANUARY 15), 1979

Mr. THURMOND (for himself, Mr. GOLDWATER, and Mr. WALLOP) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing of the budget and reducing the public debt.

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Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two3 thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following 4 article is hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitu5 tion of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents 6 and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the 7 legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:

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"ARTICLE

"SECTION 1. On or before the fifteenth day after the

3 beginning of each regular session of the Congress, the Presi4 dent shall transmit to the Congress a budget which shall set 5 forth his estimates of the receipts of the Government, other 6 than receipts of trust funds, during the ensuing fiscal year 7 under the laws then existing and his recommendations with 8 respect to total outlays to be made, other than outlays from 9 trust funds, during such ensuing fiscal year, which shall not 10 exceed the estimated receipts that will be available to defray 11 outlays after the application of section 2 of this article. The 12 President in transmitting such budget may recommend meas13 ures for raising additional revenue and his recommendations 14 for the expenditure of such additional revenue. The Congress, 15 in the exercise of its powers, shall not authorize outlays to be 16 made during such ensuing fiscal year in excess of the estimat17 ed receipts that will be available to defray outlays after the 18 application of section 2 of this article.

19 "SEC. 2. Beginning with the fifth fiscal year after the 20 effective date of this article, and for each of the next twenty 21 fiscal years thereafter so long as there remains any public 22 debt of the United States, 5 per centum of the receipts of the 23 Government, not including receipts of trust funds, shall be 24 available only to reduce the public debt. If during any of such 25 fiscal years the public debt is less than 5 per centum of re

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1 ceipts, so much of such receipts as is necessary to eliminate 2 the public debt shall be available only for that purpose.

3 "SEC. 3. In case of war or other grave national emer4 gency, the Congress upon vote of three-fourths of all the 5 Members of each House may suspend the provisions of sec6 tions 1 and 2 of this article for periods, either successive or 7 otherwise, not exceeding one year each.

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"SEC. 4. This article shall take effect on the first day of

9 the calendar year next following its ratification: Provided, 10 however, That this article shall be inoperative unless it shall 11 have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by 12 the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within 13 seven years from the date of its submission to the States by 14 the Congress.".

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit appropriations for a fiscal year which would cause the total appropriations to exceed estimated receipts for such fiscal year.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 7 (legislative day, JANUARY 15), 1979

Mr. HEFLIN introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit appropriations for a fiscal year which would cause the total appropriations to exceed estimated receipts for such fiscal

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year.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled 3 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol4 lowing article is hereby proposed as an amendment to the 5 Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 6 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified 7 by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States

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1 within seven years after its submission to the States for rati

4 "SECTION 1. The Congress shall make no appropriation 5 for any fiscal year if the resulting total of appropriations for 6 such fiscal year would exceed the total estimated receipts of 7 the United States for such fiscal year.

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"SEC. 2. (a) In case of a national emergency (including

9 a state of war formally declared by the Congress), the provi10 sions of section 1 may be suspended for a fiscal year, or 11 portion thereof, by a concurrent resolution or a joint resolu12 tion, agreed to in each House by a rollcall vote by 55 percent 13 of all Members, with such resolution providing the period of 14 time of suspension.

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"(b) A concurrent resolution referred to in subsection (a) 16 may be recommended by the President in a special message 17 to Congress delivered to both Houses of Congress while in 18 session on the same date. Within thirty days after the receipt 19 of such a special message, the House of Representatives shall 20 complete its action on the concurrent resolution recommend21 ed by the President. Within thirty days after such concurrent 22 resolution is agreed to by the House of Representatives, the 23 Senate shall complete its action on such concurrent 24 resolution.