CONGRESSIONAL PETITION SUBMISSION FORM

BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET AMENDMENT

OFFICIAL PETITION TO BOTH HOUSES OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Submission Form directing the United States Congress

to send the Balanced Federal Budget Amendment, under Article V of the United States Constitution, to the Several States for ratification. 

The first paragraph of the United States Constitution reads:   " of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."  ARTICLE IX of the AMENDMENTS to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the RIGHT TO of the people to preserve a Balanced Federal Budget in America: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." I hereby instruct each member of Both Houses of Congress, according to ARTICLE V of the U.S. Constitution and AMENDMENTS I, IX, and X to send to the State Legislatures for RATIFICATION the following proposed AMENDMENT to the United States Constitution entitled the "BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET AMENDMENT":

Text of the proposed

BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET AMENDMENT

ARTICLE 28 (or alternate number to be assigned by Congress)

Section 1.  It is the right of citizens to enjoy a fiscally sound and debt free federal government which is foundational to a free people and must not be violated by the State. 

Section 2.  It is hereby mandated that the United States Congress will conduct the fiscal affairs of the United States Government according to the requirements of this Article.

Section 3.  A Balanced Federal Budget consists of accurately assigning the sum of all federal receipts (which includes all tax revenues and all other sources of government income) to pay for all Federal expenditures within a given year and with the mandate not to allow expenditures to exceed revenue and income.  The following exceptions apply:

1. In time of war or national emergency the United States Congress can authorize expenditures to exceed income and revenue as is required to protect the interests and security of the United States and its citizens.  However, the United States Congress is required to amortize the repayment of any debt incurred over a maximum of ten years from the end of the war or national emergency. The United States Congress is prohibited from extending the repayment of the debt beyond ten years which includes the repayment of monies borrowed and any interest that may have accrued in order to service said debt.  Congress can repay the debt, in full, in less than ten years, but must pay no less than 1/10^th of the original amount owed by the Government, including interest, in each remaining year of the ten year term, unless the balance is less than 1/10^th of the original amount. 

2. The United States Congress is authorized to allow expenditures to exceed revenues and income when in the collective wisdom of two thirds of the members of both Houses of the United States Congress it is necessary to do so.  However, the United States Congress is required to amortize the repayment of any debt incurred over a maximum of five years from the date said debt was authorized by Congress. The United States Congress is prohibited from extending the repayment of said debt beyond five years which includes the repayment of monies borrowed and any interest that may have accrued in order to service said debt.  Congress can repay the debt, in full, in less than five years, but must pay no less than 1/5^th of the original amount owed by the Government, including interest, in each remaining year of the five year term, unless the balance is less than 1/5^th of the original amount. 

Section 4.  The United States Congress is prohibited from taking any debt that may remain from previous year deficits and include it/them as part of a new deficit expenditure in current or future years. 

Section 5.  It is further prohibited for the United States Congress to extend the repayment of any and all debt incurred beyond the time lines required in this Article.

Section 6.  All current debt owed by the United State Government at the time this Article is ratified, including accrued interest to service said debt, must be repaid by the United States Congress within 20 years from the date this Article is ratified by the several States.  Congress can repay the current debt, in full, in less than twenty years, but must pay no less than 1/20^th of the original amount owed by the Government, including interest, in each remaining year of the 20 year term, unless the balance is less than 1/20^th of the original amount. 

Section 7.  To secure the rights of citizens to enjoy a fiscally sound and debt free federal government, which is foundational to a free people, it is hereby prohibited for the United States Congress to allow federal expenditures to exceed federal revenue and income, in any given year, as mandated by the requirements and allowances of this Article. 

Section 8.  This Article shall be immediately enforceable upon the United States Congress when ratified by three quarters of the several States. 

Revised: 05/26/10.

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