Congress·In Committee·S.J.Res. 97

Senators Propose Constitutional Amendment Requiring Congress to Balance the Federal Budget

A joint resolution proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

4 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: Congress Proposes Constitutional Amendment for Balanced Federal Budget

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

This resolution proposes a change to the U.S. Constitution that would require the federal government to balance its budget. If passed and approved by the states, the government would have 10 years to ensure that the money it spends does not exceed the money it collects from taxes and other sources.
The rule would count almost all government spending, but it would not include payments made on the existing national debt. On the income side, the government would not be allowed to count borrowed money as part of its official revenue to make the budget look balanced.
There is an exception for emergencies like wars or national crises. If two-thirds of both the House and the Senate agree, the government could spend more than it earns for a limited time, but any new debt from that spending must be paid back as soon as possible.
To become part of the Constitution, this proposal must first be approved by two-thirds of both the House and the Senate. After that, three-fourths of all U.S. states (38 out of 50) would have to vote to approve it within a seven-year window.
This policy aims to stop the national debt from growing by forcing Congress to live within its means. However, critics often argue that a strict balanced budget rule could lead to major cuts in programs like Social Security or make it harder for the government to respond to economic recessions.

Economy Finance

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

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

Broader Impacts

DomainScoreShort-termLong-termReversibilityConfidence

Score

Scores: -5 (harmful) to +5 (beneficial)Short-term: 0-2 yearsLong-term: 10-30 years

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Nov 20, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Nov 20, 2025

Introduced in Senate

Related News

1 article

DC Journal·6 months ago

A Balanced Budget Amendment Is in Democrats' Interests

Newer, next-generation BBAs sidestep the challenges of older versions. They would balance over the medium term, adjust for revenue changes, and establish a decade-long glide path to primary balance, which excludes interest payments, while providing a safety valve for national emergencies.