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

House Joint Resolution

H.J.Res. 3

119th Congress

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

In Committee

Introduced:Jan 3, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Sponsor information unavailable

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year, meaning spending cannot exceed revenue. It would also cap total federal spending at 18% of the nation's economic output and require supermajority votes in Congress to raise taxes, increase the debt limit, or exceed these limits.

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Introduced1/3/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

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

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year, meaning spending cannot exceed revenue. It would also cap total federal spending at 18% of the nation's economic output and req

Community Breakdown

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This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year, meaning spending cannot exceed revenue. It would also cap total federal spending at 18% of the nation's economic output and require supermajority votes in Congress to raise taxes, increase the debt limit, or exceed these limits.

Bill Number: 3
Introduced: 1/3/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget.
Bill Number: 3
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced: 1/3/2025
Summary: This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year, meaning spending cannot exceed revenue. It would also cap total federal spending at 18% of the nation's economic output and require supermajority votes in Congress to

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year, meaning spending cannot exceed revenue. It would also cap total federal spending at 18% of the nation's economic output and require supermajority votes in Congress to raise taxes, increase the debt limit, or exceed these limits.

Last updated: 3/3/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

The federal government would be required to spend no more money than it collects in revenue each year unless two-thirds of both the House and Senate vote to allow deficit spending.
Total federal spending would be capped at 18% of the nation's gross domestic product unless two-thirds of both chambers approve a higher amount.
Any new tax or tax rate increase would require approval by two-thirds of both the House and Senate, rather than a simple majority.
Increasing the national debt limit would require approval by three-fifths of both chambers of Congress.
These requirements could be waived during declared wars or serious military conflicts threatening national security, with specified supermajority votes.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This amendment would affect all Americans by fundamentally changing how the federal government creates budgets and funds programs. It would constrain Congress's ability to run deficits during economic downturns or emergencies unless supermajorities agree, potentially affecting funding for government services, benefits, and programs. The amendment would require ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures to take effect and would begin five years after ratification.

Policy Areas

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Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3, 119th Congress (2025). "Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to balancing the budget.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-hjres-3

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