Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Sponsored By: Representative Nunn (IA)
Introduced
Summary
Require a balanced federal budget each year. This proposed constitutional amendment would tie annual federal outlays to total receipts, limit increases in debt held by the public, and raise the votes needed to exceed those caps.
Show full summary
- Congress and the President: Would obligate the President to submit a budget with outlays no greater than receipts and would require that revenue-raising bills be approved by a majority of the whole number of each House by rollcall.
- Debt and emergencies: Would require three-fifths of the whole number of each House by rollcall to approve any increase in the public debt limit and would allow limited waivers only during a declared war or an imminent national security conflict adopted by a majority joint resolution.
- Implementation and timing: Would take effect beginning with the fifth fiscal year after ratification and would rely on further legislation for enforcement, using official estimates and defining receipts to exclude borrowing and outlays to exclude debt principal repayments.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
Wartime waivers for budget rules
If enacted, Congress could waive the budget and debt rules during a declared war. Congress could also waive them for a serious military conflict if a majority of each House passes a joint resolution into law. Any waiver would have to name the extra amount and apply only for that fiscal year.
Balanced budget unless supermajority
If enacted, federal spending would not be allowed to exceed revenues in a fiscal year. A three‑fifths rollcall vote of the whole number of each House could approve a specific excess. This could mean spending cuts or tax increases to balance the budget.
Harder to raise the debt limit
If enacted, Congress could not raise the federal debt limit unless three‑fifths of the whole number of each House approves it by rollcall. This would make new federal borrowing harder. If increases are constrained, this could affect interest rates or federal services.
When budget rules start and apply
If ratified, these rules would start in the fifth fiscal year after ratification. Receipts would not include borrowing, and outlays would not include paying back debt principal. Congress would write enforcement laws and could rely on budget estimates.
Rollcall votes for tax increases
If enacted, no bill to raise revenue would become law unless a majority of the whole number of each House approves it by rollcall. This could slow or block tax increases. Taxpayers and businesses could see slower changes to tax law.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Nunn (IA)
IA • R
Cosponsors
Allen
GA • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Latta
OH • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Zinke
MT • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Hill (AR)
AR • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Estes
KS • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Houchin
IN • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Grothman
WI • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Mann
KS • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Calvert
CA • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Bacon
NE • R
Sponsored 1/3/2025
Guthrie
KY • R
Sponsored 1/13/2025
Fischbach
MN • R
Sponsored 1/15/2025
Schmidt
KS • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Wied
WI • R
Sponsored 7/17/2025
Edwards
NC • R
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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