# 119-hjres-6: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide for balanced budgets for the Government.

119-hjres-6, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide for balanced budgets for the Government., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hjres-6
- As of: 2026-06-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hjres-6
- Congress: 119
- Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide for balanced budgets for the Government.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Sponsor: Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-06-13

## Summary

**Balanced-budget constraint**: This proposed constitutional amendment would require federal outlays in each fiscal year to not exceed receipts. It would also force the President to submit a budget that meets that balance and set defined, vote-based waivers for war, national emergencies, and natural disasters. - Congress: Would have to write laws to enforce the amendment and could permit an excess of outlays over receipts only if two-thirds of each House approve by rollcall. Waivers for war, national emergency, or natural disaster follow separate voting rules with lower thresholds. - President: Would be required each year to transmit a proposed budget in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts. - Federal budgeting and timing: The amendment would let enforcement rely on official estimates of outlays and receipts and would take effect beginning with the fifth fiscal year after ratification as part of the Constitution.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Crisis waivers for war and disasters: benefit, high. If enacted, Congress could waive the balanced-budget rule during a war, a national emergency, or a natural disaster. For a war, a rollcall vote could approve the waiver. For an emergency or disaster, a majority-passed joint resolution that becomes law could approve it.
- Balanced federal budget with supermajority exception: mixed, high. If enacted, the federal government would have to balance its budget each year. Total outlays could not be higher than total receipts. Congress could pass a law for a specific deficit, but it would take a two-thirds rollcall vote in each House. The President would also need to send Congress a yearly…
- Start date and enforcement by Congress: mixed, high. If enacted, the amendment would start beginning with the fifth fiscal year after ratification by the states. Congress would have to pass laws to enforce and carry it out. Those laws could rely on estimates of money coming in and going out.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3001: To advance commonsense priorities.
- 119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1923: Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3338: MARKET CHOICE Act

## Sources
- [119-hjres-6 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-joint-resolution/6)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3001: To advance commonsense priorities.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3001)
- [119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4393)
- [119-hr-1923: Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1923)
- [119-hr-3338: MARKET CHOICE Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3338)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hjres-6 (as of 2026-06-13).