| 1 | 1 | | 85S10001 KSM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Raymond H.C.R. No. 16 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Year after year, the federal government has failed |
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| 7 | 7 | | to make fiscally responsible choices, and Washington must now take |
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| 8 | 8 | | aggressive steps to address our serious national deficit; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The United States Congress routinely passes budgets |
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| 10 | 10 | | leading the government to spend more than it receives in revenue; in |
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| 11 | 11 | | order to finance the resulting budget deficit, the U.S. Treasury |
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| 12 | 12 | | must sell bonds and the government must pay interest on those bonds; |
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| 13 | 13 | | this cycle of deficit spending leaves less money for new programs or |
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| 14 | 14 | | tax cuts, and it could prove detrimental to the future stability of |
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| 15 | 15 | | our nation; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, In the past, such statutory restraints as the failed |
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| 17 | 17 | | Gramm-Rudman-Hollings legislation and "PAYGO" rules have proven |
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| 18 | 18 | | ineffective and unenforceable, since simple majorities in Congress |
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| 19 | 19 | | can alter, weaken, or dismantle fiscal reforms; an amendment to the |
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| 20 | 20 | | U.S. Constitution, which requires the assent of two-thirds of |
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| 21 | 21 | | Congress and three-quarters of the states, is the only means of |
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| 22 | 22 | | guaranteeing permanent enforcement of spending restraints; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, A federal balanced budget amendment will ensure that |
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| 24 | 24 | | Congress uses taxpayer dollars wisely, and it is vital that we take |
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| 25 | 25 | | this step to avert fiscal calamity and eliminate future deficits; |
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| 26 | 26 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 27 | 27 | | RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1st Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the |
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| 29 | 29 | | United States to propose and submit to the states for ratification |
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| 30 | 30 | | an amendment to the United States Constitution providing for a |
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| 31 | 31 | | balanced federal budget; and, be it further |
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| 32 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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| 33 | 33 | | copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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| 34 | 34 | | the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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| 35 | 35 | | Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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| 36 | 36 | | members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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| 37 | 37 | | this resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record |
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| 38 | 38 | | as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |
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