82R3838 CBE-D
By: Elkins H.C.R. No. 39
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Federal spending continues to outpace revenues, and
for the third consecutive year, the United States is expected to
post a budget deficit of more than $1 trillion; and
WHEREAS, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike
Mullen, has called the national debt "our biggest national security
threat"; crushing debt not only diminishes America's role in the
world and its ability to solve global problems, it threatens the
American way of life and limits the future of our children; and
WHEREAS, The issue must be addressed, but not through higher
taxes; although it has been argued that added tax revenues would be
used to reduce the deficit, research shows that, in fact, every
dollar of new taxes leads to more than one dollar of new spending by
Congress; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that the United States restore
fiscal responsibility, but without strict guidelines, Congress is
unlikely to make the tough choices that are necessary to control
spending; the time has come to require the government not to spend
more than it receives in revenues, and the most effective way to do
that is through a federal balanced budget amendment; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to
the United States Constitution to provide for a federal balanced
budget; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the legislature urge Congress to cap the
maximum income tax rate at 15 percent so that all federal taxes
withheld from an individual's wages, including Social Security and
Medicare, cannot exceed 15 percent; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.