Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional balanced-budget rule. If ratified by three-fourths of the states, Congress would have to keep total federal outlays within total receipts unless the amendment's exception process is satisfied. It also authorizes Congress to enforce and implement the article by legislation based on estimates of outlays and receipts. The real stakes are fiscal discipline, congressional budgeting power, federal program flexibility, and the risk that downturns or emergencies could require supermajority exceptions.
Who Benefits and How
Federal taxpayers benefit if the amendment restrains deficit spending and slows debt growth over time. Balanced-budget advocates benefit because the proposal would move their fiscal rule from statute or chamber rules into the Constitution. Congressional budget committees benefit from explicit authority to implement the amendment through estimating and enforcement legislation. Future lawmakers benefit from a clear constitutional framework for debating exceptions rather than relying only on ordinary budget rules.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Members of Congress must fit spending and revenue decisions inside a constitutional outlay limit unless an exception applies. Federal program beneficiaries may face funding pressure if Congress cuts spending to comply with the balanced-budget requirement. Federal agencies must operate under tighter budget constraints during years when receipts fall. State legislatures must decide whether to ratify a major change to federal fiscal power.
Key Provisions
- Proposes a constitutional balanced-budget requirement for federal outlays and receipts.
- Requires congressional implementation legislation that may rely on budget estimates.
- Limits ordinary deficit spending unless the amendment's exception process is satisfied.
- Shifts fiscal enforcement from ordinary budget rules to constitutional law if ratified.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Proposes a balanced budget amendment requiring federal outlays not to exceed receipts unless Congress authorizes exceptions and implements the rule by legislation.
Key Policy Areas
Budget, Constitutional Amendment
Primary Purpose
Proposes a balanced budget amendment requiring federal outlays not to exceed receipts unless Congress authorizes exceptions and implements the rule by legislation.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Federal taxpayers
- Balanced-budget advocacy organizations
- Congressional budget committees
- Future lawmakers
Identified Costs
- Members of Congress
- Federal program beneficiaries
- Federal agencies
- State legislatures
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Congressional budget committees, State legislatures
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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