Bill Text: FL S2100 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Balanced Federal Budget
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Budget [S2100 Detail]
Download: Florida-2012-S2100-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2012 SCR 2100 By the Committee on Budget 576-02772-12 20122100__ 1 Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 A concurrent resolution urging Congress to call a 3 convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to 4 the Constitution of the United States to achieve and 5 maintain a balanced federal budget. 6 7 WHEREAS, fiscal discipline and economic integrity have been 8 core principles of American governance, and 9 WHEREAS, the American people have historically demanded the 10 same prudent, responsible, and intellectually honest financial 11 behavior from their elected representatives as ultimately 12 compels individual behavior, and 13 WHEREAS, it is the firm conviction of the Legislature of 14 the State of Florida that it is wrong to fund the prosperity of 15 the present generation by robbing future Americans of their own, 16 and 17 WHEREAS, mortgaging the birthright of our children and 18 grandchildren is a dangerous departure from traditional American 19 values which threatens to permanently undermine the strength of 20 our nation, and 21 WHEREAS, during 2011, the national debt grew by almost $1.2 22 trillion, and as of January 3, 2012, the total public debt 23 outstanding for the United States was $15,226,217,488,652.33, 24 and 25 WHEREAS, Congress has voted to raise the debt limit 11 26 times since 2001, and 27 WHEREAS, our debt is owed increasingly to the governments 28 of foreign nations, not to the citizens of the United States; 29 therefore, our wealth is transferred to others and will not be 30 available to supply the means for America’s future growth and 31 prosperity, and 32 WHEREAS, this generation will bequeath to its children one 33 of the world’s most indebted industrial democracies, and 34 WHEREAS, high federal deficits cause increasingly high 35 payments for debt interest in the future, make future borrowing 36 more costly, reduce investment activity, and thus reduce the 37 size of the future economy, and 38 WHEREAS, the people of Florida recognized the wisdom of 39 fiscal discipline and enshrined in its State Constitution the 40 requirement for a balanced budget to place a prudent limit on 41 the tendencies of government, and 42 WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature has made fiscally 43 responsible decisions, maintaining a balanced budget and saving 44 the citizens of this state from crippling deficits, massive debt 45 burdens, and bankruptcy, and 46 WHEREAS, we the Legislature of the State of Florida call 47 for the Constitution of the United States to be amended to 48 require the Federal Government to operate with fiscal 49 responsibility, common sense, and within the revenues granted to 50 it by the people, and 51 WHEREAS, the Federal Government has for too long relied on 52 revenue increases and borrowing against our future, rather than 53 on prudent spending decisions within the limits of current 54 revenues, and 55 WHEREAS, lasting resolution of this nation’s budget deficit 56 will be achieved only by addressing the spending habits of our 57 Federal Government, not by increasing the tax burden under which 58 our citizens already labor, and 59 WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 60 makes provision for amending the Constitution on the application 61 of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, calling 62 a convention for proposing amendments that shall be valid to all 63 intents and purposes if ratified by the legislatures of three 64 fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three 65 fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification 66 may be proposed by Congress, NOW, THEREFORE, 67 68 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida, the House 69 of Representatives Concurring: 70 71 That the Legislature of the State of Florida, with all due 72 respect and great reluctance, does hereby make application to 73 the Congress of the United States pursuant to Article V of the 74 Constitution of the United States to call a convention for the 75 sole purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution of 76 the United States to achieve and maintain a balanced budget by, 77 among other things: 78 (1) Requiring that total outlays not exceed total receipts 79 for any fiscal year; 80 (2) Requiring the setting of a fiscal year total outlay 81 limit; 82 (3) Prohibiting increases in taxes or other revenue 83 sources; 84 (4) Providing that, for reasons other than war or military 85 conflict, the limits of this amendment may be waived by law for 86 any fiscal year if approved by at least two-thirds of both 87 houses of Congress; 88 (5) Allowing for provisions of the amendment to take effect 89 within specified time periods; 90 (6) Providing for the waiver of the provisions of the 91 amendment for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is 92 in effect or the United States is engaged in military conflict 93 that causes an imminent and serious military threat to national 94 security; and 95 (7) Allowing for congressional enforcement. 96 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this concurrent resolution 97 supersedes all previous memorials and concurrent resolutions 98 applying to the Congress of the United States to call a 99 convention for the purpose of proposing a balanced budget 100 amendment to the Constitution of the United States, including 101 Senate Memorial 234 and House Memorial 2801, both passed in 102 1976, and were superseded, revoked, and withdrawn in 1988 by 103 Senate Memorial 302, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, passed 104 in 2010, and that such previous memorials and resolutions are 105 hereby revoked and withdrawn, nullified, and superseded to the 106 same effect as if they had never been passed. 107 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this concurrent resolution is 108 revoked and withdrawn, nullified, and superseded to the same 109 effect as if it had never been passed, and retroactive to the 110 date of passage, if it is used for the purpose of calling a 111 convention or used in support of conducting a convention to 112 amend the Constitution of the United States for any purpose 113 other than requiring a balanced federal budget. 114 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this concurrent 115 resolution be dispatched to the President of the United States 116 Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of 117 Representatives, to each member of the Florida delegation to the 118 United States Congress, and to the presiding officers of each 119 house of the several state legislatures.