Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide for balanced budgets for the Government.

119th Congress Introduced by Brian Fitzpatrick

Proposes a constitutional balanced-budget: federal yearly outlays cannot exceed receipts, with exceptions only by two-thirds of Congress; takes effect after 3/4 of states ratify.

Introduced in House

Summary of HJRES 6 (Introduced Jan 3, 2025)

Overview

HJRES 6 is a House joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to establish a federal balanced-budget framework. If adopted, the amendment would require that total federal outlays in any fiscal year not exceed total receipts, with a specific mechanism to authorize exceptions. The proposal would become part of the Constitution only after the standard ratification process by the states.

Key Provisions

Balanced-budget rule: “Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year.”

Exception mechanism: An exception to the balanced-budget rule is allowed only if two-thirds of the whole number of each House of Congress approves by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts, determined by a roll-call vote.

Ratification path: The amendment would take effect upon ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures (the standard constitutional-amendment path; conventions are not specified in the text provided).

Legal vehicle and scope: Introduced as a constitutional amendment via a joint resolution (HJRES), with the intent to constrain federal spending unless overridden by a supermajority vote in Congress.

Purpose and Potential Impact

Purpose: To impose a constitutional constraint on federal fiscal policy by mandating balanced budgets annually, subject to a formal override process.

Fiscal discipline: The measure could curb annual deficits by tying spending to current-year receipts, elevating the burden of justification for increased outlays.

Override process: The two-thirds requirement to authorize any excess ensures that any deviation from balance would need broad, bipartisan support, potentially limiting discretionary increases in spending.

Economic considerations: In practice, the amendment could constrain macroeconomic stabilization options (e.g., countercyclical spending during recessions) unless overrides are widely supported in Congress.

Who Is Affected

Federal government budgeting and appropriations process would be directly constrained.

Lawmakers would need broad consensus (two-thirds in both chambers) to incur spending beyond receipts.

Programs with mandatory spending or long-term entitlement commitments could face heightened scrutiny or require new legislative authorizations if outlays exceed receipts.

Procedural and Timeline Details

Status: Introduced in the House on January 3, 2025.

Referral: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor: Primary sponsor Brian K. Fitzpatrick.

Next steps required: For adoption, the measure would need to pass both Houses with two-thirds majorities and then be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures.

Notes

This summary reflects the bill text as introduced. No additional amendments or subsequent actions are provided.