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Congress·In Committee·7 months ago

Congress Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Require a Balanced Federal Budget

Legislative Progress

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House
Senate
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Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This proposal would change the U.S. Constitution to require the federal government to balance its budget. This means the money the government spends each year could not be more than the money it brings in through taxes and other income.
  • If this becomes part of the Constitution, Congress would have 10 years to finish balancing the budget. The plan allows the government to look at spending over several years at a time rather than just one year, which helps during ups and downs in the economy.
  • The rule would not count interest payments on current debt as part of the spending limit. It also clarifies that money the government borrows cannot be counted as income when trying to show the budget is balanced.
  • In an emergency, Congress could still spend more than it takes in, but only if two-thirds of both the House and the Senate agree to it. Any debt created during these emergencies would have to be paid back as soon as possible.
  • For this to actually happen, two-thirds of both the House and the Senate must vote for it, and then 38 out of the 50 states must approve it within seven years.
Economy FinanceTaxes

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jul 23, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Jul 23, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

3 articles
The Washington Post·about 2 months ago

Running deficits larger than during the Great Depression is reckless

A bipartisan group of House members is rallying behind a target to reduce deficits to 3 percent of GDP. While budget hawks prefer a more aggressive balanced budget amendment, this resolution seeks a 'sane' path forward amid debt levels reaching 120 percent of the economy.

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The Bulletin·4 days ago

Commentary: Getting serious … sort of … on the national debt

As the national debt rushes toward $39 trillion, some officials are proposing a balanced budget amendment. The current proposal would give Congress 10 years to reach balance and excludes net interest on the debt from the spending limit to ensure essential services remain funded.

CR~
The Iowa Standard·4 days ago

Rep. Biggs urges movement on legislation codifying Trump's agenda

Congressman Andy Biggs highlighted H.J. Res. 139, a Balanced Budget Amendment, as a core priority following the State of the Union. The amendment would require the federal government to operate under a balanced budget, excluding borrowed funds from being counted as revenue.

R+

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Bill NumberHJRES 110
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.