# 119-hjres-9: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibiting the United States Government from increasing its debt except for a specific purpose by law adopted by three-fourths of the membership of each House of Congress.

119-hjres-9, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibiting the United States Government from increasing its debt except for a specific purpose by law adopted by three-fourths of the membership of each House of Congress., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] (R-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hjres-9
- 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-9
- Congress: 119
- Title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibiting the United States Government from increasing its debt except for a specific purpose by law adopted by three-fourths of the membership of each House of Congress.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Sponsor: Rep. McClintock, Tom [R-CA-5] (R-CA)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-06-13

## Summary

This bill would add a new Article to the Constitution that **limits the federal government's ability to increase its debt**. It sets a seven‑year window for state ratification and delays the amendment's effect for ten years after ratification. - Congress: Any law that increases federal debt would need the approval of three‑fourths of the membership in each House and the law must identify a specific purpose for the increase. - Federal borrowing: The restriction would be written into the Constitution and the text includes no definitions, exemptions, or enforcement rules describing what counts as a debt increase. - State legislatures and timing: State legislatures would have up to seven years to ratify the amendment, and the amendment would not become operative until ten years after ratification.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI), 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large] (R-WY), 2025-12-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Congress needs 3/4 vote to borrow: mixed, high. This joint resolution would propose a constitutional amendment on federal borrowing. The government could not raise U.S. debt. Both chambers would need a law with a specific purpose. That law would need a three‑fourths vote of all members. If three‑fourths of state legislatures ratify it within sev…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-hr-175: Deport Alien Gang Members Act
- 119-hr-2705: Nuclear Family Priority Act
- 119-hr-2315: Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025
- 119-hr-569: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025
- 119-hr-151: Equal Representation Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hjres-9 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-joint-resolution/9)

## Related
- [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21)
- [119-hr-175: Deport Alien Gang Members Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-175)
- [119-hr-2705: Nuclear Family Priority Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2705)
- [119-hr-2315: Fairness for High-Skilled Americans Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2315)
- [119-hr-569: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-569)
- [119-hr-151: Equal Representation Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-151)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hjres-9 (as of 2026-06-13).