Bill Text: TX HJR79 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Engrossed


Bill Title: Applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution to provide for a federal balanced budget.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 34-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Referred to State Affairs [HJR79 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HJR79-Engrossed.html
  84R646 TJB-D
 
  By: Workman, Keffer, Otto, Raymond, Guillen, H.J.R. No. 79
      et al.
 
 
 
A JOINT RESOLUTION
  applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention
  under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited
  purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution to provide
  for a federal balanced budget.
         WHEREAS, The drafters of the United States Constitution
  empowered state legislatures to be guardians of liberty against
  abuses of power by the federal government; and
         WHEREAS, The federal government has abused its power by
  creating a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent
  spending; and
         WHEREAS, The federal government has ceased to abide by a
  proper interpretation of the United States Constitution; and
         WHEREAS, In 1977 the 65th Texas Legislature submitted to the
  federal government H.C.R. No. 31 requesting Congress to prepare and
  submit to the several states an amendment to the United States
  Constitution providing for a federal balanced budget, or
  alternatively requesting Congress to call a constitutional
  convention for the purpose of proposing such an amendment; and
         WHEREAS, Congress has not acted to amend the United States
  Constitution to provide for a federal balanced budget or to
  otherwise impose fiscal restraints on the federal government; and
         WHEREAS, It is the solemn duty of state legislatures to
  protect the liberty of the people and of future generations by
  proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that place
  clear restraints on federal power; and
         WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution
  authorizes the several state legislatures to restrict the power of
  the federal government through the amendment process; and
         WHEREAS, Article V of the United States Constitution provides
  that on application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the
  several states Congress shall call a convention for the purpose of
  proposing amendments to the constitution; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 84th Texas Legislature hereby applies to
  Congress to call a convention under Article V of the United States
  Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to
  the constitution requiring, in the absence of a national emergency,
  that the total of all federal appropriations made by Congress for
  any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal
  revenue for that fiscal year; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That, unless rescinded by a succeeding
  legislature, this application by the 84th Texas Legislature
  constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V
  of the United States Constitution until at least two-thirds of the
  legislatures of the several states have applied to Congress to call
  a convention for the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to
  the constitution to provide for a federal balanced budget; 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 Congress of the United States, and to all members of
  the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this
  resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as an
  application to Congress for a convention under Article V of the
  United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing an
  amendment to the constitution to provide for a federal balanced
  budget; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
  copies of this resolution to the secretaries of state and to the
  presiding officers of the legislatures of the several states with
  the request that they join this state in applying to Congress for a
  convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for
  the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution
  to provide for a federal balanced budget.
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