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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Federal spending continues to outpace revenues, and |
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for the third consecutive year, the United States is expected to |
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post a budget deficit of more than $1 trillion; and |
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WHEREAS, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike |
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Mullen, has called the national debt "our biggest national security |
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threat"; crushing debt not only diminishes America's role in the |
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world and its ability to solve global problems, it threatens the |
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American way of life and limits the future of our children; and |
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WHEREAS, The issue must be addressed, but not through higher |
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taxes; although it has been argued that added tax revenues would be |
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used to reduce the deficit, research shows that, in fact, every |
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dollar of new taxes leads to more than one dollar of new spending by |
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Congress; and |
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WHEREAS, It is imperative that the United States restore |
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fiscal responsibility, but without strict guidelines, Congress is |
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unlikely to make the tough choices that are necessary to control |
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spending; the time has come to require the government not to spend |
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more than it receives in revenues, and the most effective way to do |
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that is through a federal balanced budget amendment; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to |
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the United States Constitution to provide for a federal balanced |
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budget; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature urge Congress to cap the |
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maximum income tax rate at 15 percent so that all federal taxes |
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withheld from an individual's wages, including Social Security and |
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Medicare, cannot exceed 15 percent; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |