By Grusendorf H.J.R. No. 91 74R337 CCK-D A JOINT RESOLUTION 1-1 reaffirming the provisions of previously-adopted resolutions of the 1-2 Texas Legislature that memorialize the United States Congress 1-3 relative to amending the United States Constitution to mandate 1-4 that, with specific exceptions, federal expenditures not exceed 1-5 federal revenues. 1-6 WHEREAS, The annual federal deficit and cumulative national 1-7 debt have grown to staggering proportions, exceeding $250 billion 1-8 and $4.5 trillion, respectively; and 1-9 WHEREAS, This indebtedness represents an enormous failure by 1-10 national leaders to balance spending with available revenue as is 1-11 required of state leaders in 49 states; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Interest payments on the vast national debt exceeded 1-13 $340 billion for the 1993 federal fiscal year and represent a daily 1-14 national cost of almost $950 million that is paid prior to any 1-15 expenditures on health care, low-income assistance, defense, 1-16 transportation, environmental protection, or other deserving aims 1-17 and purposes; and 1-18 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 31, 65th 1-19 Legislature, Regular Session, adopted in 1977, petitioned the 1-20 United States Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to 1-21 balance the federal budget or, alternatively, to call a 1-22 constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of 1-23 proposing such an amendment; and 1-24 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 13, adopted in 1978 2-1 by the 65th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, reconfirmed the 2-2 legislature's desire for the adoption of a budget-balancing 2-3 amendment and the establishment of procedures to amortize the 2-4 national debt; and 2-5 WHEREAS, A disappointing 18 years later, the federal deficit 2-6 has grown much larger requiring this state to renew its call and 2-7 once more lend its support for a constitutional requirement to 2-8 align federal spending with federal revenue; now, therefore, be it 2-9 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas, 2-10 Regular Session, 1995, hereby reaffirm the provisions of 2-11 previously-adopted resolutions of the Texas Legislature and apply 2-12 to the United States Congress to propose and submit to the states 2-13 an amendment to the United States Constitution requiring that, with 2-14 certain exceptions, the congress shall adopt for each fiscal year a 2-15 balanced federal budget; and, be it further 2-16 RESOLVED, That, alternatively, and in reiteration of its 2-17 previously-adopted resolutions, the Texas Legislature reaffirm its 2-18 application to the United States Congress for a convention to be 2-19 called under Article V of the United States Constitution for the 2-20 sole, specific, and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to 2-21 the United States Constitution to require a balanced federal 2-22 budget; and, be it further 2-23 RESOLVED, That the congress, or the delegates to the 2-24 convention, if called, entertain amendment components restricting 2-25 federal debt, tax increases, and the growth of total government 2-26 revenue and spending; and, be it further 2-27 RESOLVED, That, except as otherwise provided in this 3-1 resolution, this application constitute a continuing application in 3-2 accordance with Article V of the United States Constitution until 3-3 at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have 3-4 made application for a convention to propose a federal 3-5 budget-balancing amendment; and, be it further 3-6 RESOLVED, That this application for a constitutional 3-7 convention on the subject of a federal budget-balancing amendment 3-8 be automatically rescinded if: 3-9 (1) the United States Congress adopts, before 90 days 3-10 after the legislatures of two-thirds of the states have made 3-11 application for a convention, an amendment to the United States 3-12 Constitution containing provisions similar in subject matter to the 3-13 request made in this resolution; 3-14 (2) the United States Supreme Court holds that the 3-15 United States Congress cannot call a constitutional convention 3-16 limited solely and exclusively to that subject matter; or 3-17 (3) a convention called pursuant to this resolution 3-18 otherwise transcends that limited subject matter; and, be it 3-19 further 3-20 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 3-21 copies of this resolution to the vice-president of the United 3-22 States, to the speaker of the United States House of 3-23 Representatives, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the 3-24 congress, with the request that this resolution be officially 3-25 entered in the Congressional Record as an application to the 3-26 Congress of the United States of America for a convention to 3-27 propose a federal constitutional amendment to require a balanced 4-1 federal budget; and, be it further 4-2 RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared 4-3 for the presiding officers of the legislatures of the other states 4-4 for their consideration.