HJRES10119th CongressWALLET

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.

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  • 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.

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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