Virginia
“[T]his Body makes application and requests that the Congress of the United States call a constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Federal Constitution requiring in the absence of a national emergency that the total of all Federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated Federal revenues for that fiscal year[.]” – Virginia SJR 36 (1976)
Representative Application
For each of the 40 States, one representative application has been highlighted. An explanation is provided as to why this application should be aggregated toward the total calling for a convention for proposing amendments. Additional applications from the State, if any, are also included.
Virginia SJR 36 (1976) is among the seventeen States that articulate the problem of fiscal responsibility with a phrase nearly identical to “the total of all federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated federal revenues for that fiscal year.” There are some slight variations, the biggest being Wyoming referring to “receipts” rather than “revenue.”
SJR 36 (1976)
Applying to Congress to initiate proceedings for the purpose of amending the Constitution of the United States to provide restrictions on Congressional appropriations.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 16, 1976
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 1976
WHEREAS, with each passing year this Nation becomes more deeply in debt as its expenditures grossly and repeatedly exceed available revenues, so that the public debt now exceeds hundreds of billions of dollars; and
WHEREAS, the annual Federal budget continually demonstrates an unwillingness or inability of both the legislative and executive branches of the Federal government to curtail spending to conform to available revenues; and
WHEREAS, unified budgets do not reflect actual spending because of the exclusion of special outlays which are not included in the budget nor subject to the legal public debt limit; and WHEREAS, knowledgeable planning, fiscal prudence, and plain good sense require that the budget reflect all Federal spending and be in balance; and
WHEREAS, believing that fiscal irresponsibility at the federal level, with the inflation which results from this policy, is the greatest threat which faces our Nation, we firmly believe that constitutional restraint is necessary to bring the fiscal discipline needed to restore financial responsibility; and WHEREAS, under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, amendments to the Federal Constitution may be proposed by the Congress whenever two-thirds of both Houses deem it necessary, or on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states the Congress shall call a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing amendments; and
WHEREAS, we believe such action vital; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly of Virginia proposes to the Congress of the United States that procedures be instituted in the Congress to add a new Article to the Constitution of the United States, and that this Body hereby requests the Congress to prepare and submit to the several states an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, requiring in the absence of a national emergency that the total of all Federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated Federal revenues for that fiscal year; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That, alternatively, this Body makes application and requests that the Congress of the United States call a constitutional convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Federal Constitution requiring in the absence of a national emergency that the total of all Federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not exceed the total of all estimated Federal revenues for that fiscal year; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That this Body also proposes that the legislatures of each of the several states comprising the United States apply to the Congress requesting the enactment of an appropriate amendment to the Federal Constitution; or requiring the Congress to call a constitutional convention for proposing such an amendment to the Federal Constitution; and, be it
RESOLVED FINALLY, That copies of this resolution be presented forthwith to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, to each of the Senators and Representatives from Virginia and to the legislatures of each of the several states, attesting the adoption of this resolution.