Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring that the Federal budget be balanced and that an increase in the Federal debt requires approval from a majority of the legislatures of the several States.
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
3 steps remain before this amendment could become part of the Constitution. Congress only proposes an amendment; it cannot enact one, and the President has no part in it.
The record's latest action, on January 12, 2015: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
- A two-thirds vote in the House
- A two-thirds vote in the Senate
- Ratification by three quarters of the states, which is 38 of the 50
What would it take to amend the Constitution?
This is a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution, which follows Article V rather than the ordinary path a bill takes. Two thirds of the House and two thirds of the Senate have to agree, and a simple majority is not enough.
It is then never sent to the President, who has no role in amending the Constitution. It goes to the states, and three quarters of them, 38 of the 50, have to ratify it before it takes effect.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
David Schweikert (R-AZ) introduced it on January 6, 2015, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 6, 2015, 4265 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4259 days ago, on January 12, 2015.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 114th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2017 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers