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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