# 119-hr-37: Proposing a Federal debt limit amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

119-hr-37, Proposing a Federal debt limit amendment to the Constitution of the United States., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] (R-IN); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-37
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-37
- Congress: 119
- Title: Proposing a Federal debt limit amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Sponsor: Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] (R-IN)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**This proposed constitutional amendment would cap total federal debt as a share of the economy, tying the national debt ceiling to GDP and phasing the cap down from 130% to 120%.** It sets rules for when Congress can exceed that cap and for how budgets must be presented to show compliance.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Debt cap tied to GDP: mixed, high. If enacted, the Constitution would set a hard limit on total federal debt, including public and intragovernmental debt. In the first year it applies, the cap would be 130% of GDP. It would drop by 1 percentage point each year until it reaches 120% of GDP, then stay there. GDP would be measured by t…
- Supermajority and war waivers to exceed cap: mixed, high. If enacted, federal debt could not exceed the cap unless three-fifths of each House votes by roll call to allow a specific excess for that fiscal year. Congress could waive the cap for defense in a declared war. It could also grant a limited waiver during a direct military conflict that poses an im…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-7705: Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2026
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-37 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/37)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-137: TCJA Permanency Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-137)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-7705: Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7705)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-37 (as of 2025-12-21).