Proposed change would require the federal government to balance its budget yearly.
H.J.Res. 2 — Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. · Filed by Andy Biggs (R-AZ) · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This joint resolution proposes a change to the Constitution. It would require the federal government to spend no more than it collects in taxes each year. It would freeze the national debt ceiling at current levels. Congress would need a two-thirds vote to raise taxes. If three-fourths of the states approve it, it becomes part of the Constitution.
Who it affects
The federal government would have to balance its budget every year. Congress would need a two-thirds vote to pass any tax increase. People who rely on federal programs could face cuts.
One thing to notice
The change would stop the federal government from spending more than it takes in. This would happen even when the economy is weak and people need more help.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
- Jan 3, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 3, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- joint resolution — A formal proposal from Congress that can propose a change to the Constitution.
- change to the Constitution — An official change to the nation's basic rules that requires approval from Congress and three-fourths of the states.
- national debt ceiling — The maximum amount of money the federal government is allowed to borrow.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,151 characters) on Sep 18, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,778 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-11-02.
“Proposed change would require the federal government to balance its budget yearly.” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hjres2/simple Report an error
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