By Brady                                             H.J.R. No. 112
       74R7848 CCK-D
                                  A JOINT RESOLUTION
    1-1  reaffirming the application by the Texas Legislature to the United
    1-2  States Congress to call a convention for the specific and exclusive
    1-3  purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution
    1-4  to require a balanced federal budget.
    1-5        WHEREAS, The annual federal deficit and cumulative national
    1-6  debt have grown to staggering proportions, exceeding $250 billion
    1-7  and $4.5 trillion, respectively; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, This indebtedness represents an enormous failure by
    1-9  national leaders to balance spending with available revenue as is
   1-10  required of state leaders in 49 states; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Interest payments on the vast national debt exceeded
   1-12  $340 billion for the 1993 federal fiscal year and represent a daily
   1-13  national cost of almost $950 million that is paid prior to any
   1-14  expenditures on health care, low-income assistance, defense,
   1-15  transportation, environmental protection, or other deserving aims
   1-16  and purposes; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 31, 65th
   1-18  Legislature, Regular Session, adopted in 1977, petitioned the
   1-19  United States Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to
   1-20  balance the federal budget or, alternatively, to call a
   1-21  constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of
   1-22  proposing such an amendment; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 13, adopted in 1978
   1-24  by the 65th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, reconfirmed the
    2-1  legislature's desire for the adoption of a budget-balancing
    2-2  amendment and the establishment of procedures to amortize the
    2-3  national debt; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, A disappointing 18 years later, the federal deficit
    2-5  has grown much larger requiring this state to renew its call and
    2-6  once more lend its support for a constitutional requirement to
    2-7  align federal spending with federal revenue; now, therefore, be it
    2-8        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
    2-9  hereby reaffirm its application to the United States Congress for a
   2-10  convention to be called under Article V of the United States
   2-11  Constitution for the sole, specific, and exclusive purpose of
   2-12  proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution to require
   2-13  a balanced federal budget; and, be it further
   2-14        RESOLVED, That the congress, or the delegates to the
   2-15  convention, if called, entertain amendment components restricting
   2-16  federal debt, tax increases, and the growth of total government
   2-17  revenue and spending; and, be it further
   2-18        RESOLVED, That, except as otherwise provided in this
   2-19  resolution, this application constitute a continuing application in
   2-20  accordance with Article V of the United States Constitution until
   2-21  at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have
   2-22  made application for a convention to propose a federal
   2-23  budget-balancing amendment; and, be it further
   2-24        RESOLVED, That this application for a constitutional
   2-25  convention on the subject of a federal budget-balancing amendment
   2-26  be automatically rescinded if:
   2-27              (1)  the United States Congress adopts, before 90 days
    3-1  after the legislatures of two-thirds of the states have made
    3-2  application for a convention, an amendment to the United States
    3-3  Constitution containing provisions similar in subject matter to the
    3-4  request made in this resolution;
    3-5              (2)  the United States Supreme Court holds that the
    3-6  United States Congress cannot call a constitutional convention
    3-7  limited solely and exclusively to that subject matter; or
    3-8              (3)  a convention called pursuant to this resolution
    3-9  otherwise transcends that limited subject matter; and, be it
   3-10  further
   3-11        RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
   3-12  copies of this resolution to the vice-president of the United
   3-13  States, to the speaker of the United States House of
   3-14  Representatives, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the
   3-15  congress, with the request that this resolution be officially
   3-16  entered in the Congressional Record as an application to the
   3-17  Congress of the United States of America for a convention to
   3-18  propose a federal constitutional amendment to require a balanced
   3-19  federal budget; and, be it further
   3-20        RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
   3-21  for the presiding officers of the legislatures of the other states
   3-22  for their consideration.