HCR 5012--
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Session of 1997
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5012
By Representatives Freeborn, Palmer and Ballou and Adkins, Beggs, Bos- ton, Bradley, Compton, Dahl, Donovan, Edmonds, Faber, Farmer, Flower, Franklin, Geringer, Gilmore, Glasscock, Hayzlett, Horst, Huff, Humerickhouse, Hutchins, Jennison, Kejr,
Phill Kline, Land- wehr, Lloyd, P. Long, Mason, Mayans, Mays, McCreary, Mollenkamp, Morrison, Myers, Neufeld, O'Connor, O'Neal, Packer, J. Peterson, Pottorff, Powell, Powers, Presta, Pugh, Ray, Shallenburger, Shore, Shultz, Sloan, Swenson, Thimesch,
Toplikar, Vickrey, Vining, Wagle, Weber, Wilk and Wilson
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16 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION to memorialize Congress to submit
17 the balanced budget amendment to the constitution of the United
18 States to the states for ratification.
19
20 WHEREAS, The annual federal budget has not been balanced since
21 1969, and the federal public debt is now more than $5 trillion or $20,000
22 for every man, woman and child in America; and
23 WHEREAS, Continued deficit spending demonstrates an unwilling-
24 ness or inability of both the federal executive and legislative branches to
25 spend no more than available revenues; and
26 WHEREAS, Fiscal irresponsibility at the federal level is lowering our
27 standard of living, destroying jobs and endangering economic opportunity
28 now and for the next generation; and
29 WHEREAS, The federal government's unlimited ability to borrow
30 raises questions about fundamental principles and responsibilities of gov-
31 ernment, with potentially profound consequences for the nation and its
32 People, making it an appropriate subject for limitation by the Constitution
33 of the United States; and
34 WHEREAS, The Constitution of the United States vests the ultimate
35 responsibility to approve or disapprove constitutional amendments with
36 the People, as represented by their elected State Legislatures; and op-
37 position by a small minority repeatedly has thwarted the will of the People
38 that a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution should be sub-
39 mitted to the States for ratification: Now, therefore,
40 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
41 the Senate concurring therein: That the Congress of the United States
42 expeditiously pass, and propose to the Legislatures of the several States
HCR 5012
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2 -for ratification, an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
3 requiring in the absence of a national emergency that the total of all
4 federal appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may not
5 exceed the total of all estimated federal revenues for that fiscal year.
6 Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send
7 enrolled copies of this resolution to the President of the United States
8 Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States,
9 each member of the Kansas congressional delegation, and the secretary
10 of state and the presiding officers of both houses of the legislatures of
11 each of the other states in the union.