Bill Text: TX HCR18 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Urging Congress to propose and submit to the states an amendment to the United States Constitution providing for a federal balanced budget.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 94-2)

Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Signed by the Governor [HCR18 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HCR18-Enrolled.html

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H.C.R. No. 18

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The gravity of federal debt and federal obligations
was established early in American history, with deficit occurring
only in relation to extraordinary circumstances, such as war; yet
for much of the 20th century and into the 21st, the United States
has operated on a budget deficit, including the 2010 budget year,
which surpassed an astounding $1.3 trillion, an annual deficit that
exceeded the entire gross state product of Texas; and
WHEREAS, The federal debt is greater than $14 trillion, a sum
that if shared equally by each person in America would be a burden
of over $45,000 per person, and yet the federal government
continues to accrue debt; and
WHEREAS, The higher the deficit, the more the government must
spend on paying interest on the debt; compounding the problem is the
use of deficit spending, which becomes a responsibility for future
generations of Americans to assume without their consent; and
WHEREAS, Congress has attempted to set budgetary restraints
for itself in the form of a balanced budget amendment; the proposal
won wide support in 1995, failing by only one vote in the senate;
and
WHEREAS, Many states have previously requested that Congress
propose a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, but
Congress has proven to be unresponsive; and
WHEREAS, This growing burden of public debt is a threat to the
nation's economic health, and action must be taken to restore
fiscal responsibility; a balanced budget amendment would require
the government not to spend more than it receives in revenues and
compel lawmakers to carefully consider choices about spending and
taxes; by encouraging spending control and discouraging deficit
spending, a balanced budget amendment will help put the nation on
the path to lasting prosperity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to
the United States Constitution providing that except during a war
declared by the Congress of the United States pursuant to Article I,
Section 8, Clause 11, United States Constitution, or other national
emergency, the total of all federal appropriations for a fiscal
year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal revenue for
that fiscal year and providing for a spending limitation; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the
senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the
Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.
Creighton Raymond
Pitts Truitt
Pena Aliseda
Anderson of McLennan Aycock
Berman Bohac
Branch Brown
Button Cain
Callegari Carter
Chisum Christian
Cook Crownover
Darby J. Davis of Harris
Driver Eissler
Elkins Fletcher
Flynn Frullo
Garza Gonzales of Williamson
Hancock Harper-Brown
Hartnett Hilderbran
Hopson Hughes
Hunter Isaac
Jackson Keffer
King of Parker King of Taylor
Kleinschmidt Kolkhorst
Kuempel Landtroop
Larson Laubenberg
Lavender Legler
Lewis Madden
Margo Miller of Erath
Morrison Murphy
Orr Otto
Parker Patrick
Paxton Perry
Phillips Price
Riddle Ritter
Schwertner Sheets
Sheffield Shelton
Smith of Tarrant Smith of Harris
Smithee Taylor of Galveston
Taylor of Collin Weber
White Workman
Zedler Zerwas
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 18 was adopted by the House on April
13, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 115, Nays 17, 16 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 18 was adopted by the Senate on May
19, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor