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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The gravity of federal debt and federal obligations |
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was established early in American history, with deficit occurring |
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only in relation to extraordinary circumstances, such as war; yet |
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for much of the 20th century and into the 21st, the United States |
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has operated on a budget deficit, including the 2010 budget year, |
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which surpassed an astounding $1.3 trillion, an annual deficit that |
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exceeded the entire gross state product of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The federal debt is greater than $14 trillion, a sum |
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that if shared equally by each person in America would be a burden |
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of over $45,000 per person, and yet the federal government |
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continues to accrue debt; and |
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WHEREAS, The higher the deficit, the more the government must |
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spend on paying interest on the debt; compounding the problem is the |
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use of deficit spending, which becomes a responsibility for future |
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generations of Americans to assume without their consent; and |
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WHEREAS, Congress has attempted to set budgetary restraints |
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for itself in the form of a balanced budget amendment; the proposal |
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won wide support in 1995, failing by only one vote in the senate; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Many states have previously requested that Congress |
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propose a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, but |
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Congress has proven to be unresponsive; and |
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WHEREAS, This growing burden of public debt is a threat to the |
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nation's economic health, and action must be taken to restore |
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fiscal responsibility; a balanced budget amendment would require |
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the government not to spend more than it receives in revenues and |
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compel lawmakers to carefully consider choices about spending and |
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taxes; by encouraging spending control and discouraging deficit |
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spending, a balanced budget amendment will help put the nation on |
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the path to lasting prosperity; now, 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 providing that except during a war |
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declared by the Congress of the United States pursuant to Article I, |
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Section 8, Clause 11, United States Constitution, or other national |
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emergency, the total of all federal appropriations for a fiscal |
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year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal revenue for |
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that fiscal year and providing for a spending limitation; and, be it |
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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 speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |
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