Congress proposes to lock itself out of raising taxes—permanently.
S.J.Res. 2 — A joint resolution proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States relative to the line item veto, a limitation on the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve, and requiring a vote of two-thirds of the membership of both Houses of Congress on any legislation raising or imposing new taxes or fees. · Filed by Rick Scott (R-FL) · Introduced Jan 8, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This joint resolution proposes three constitutional amendments: (1) giving the President a line-item veto to cut specific spending from bills; (2) limiting House members to 6 terms and Senators to 2 terms; and (3) requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote in both chambers to pass any bill that creates a new tax, raises an existing tax, or eliminates a tax exemption. These amendments would need ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures to take effect.
Why we flagged it
The bill proposes three structural constitutional changes that would shift fiscal and executive power: supermajority tax locks, presidential line-item veto authority, and congressional term limits. These are not routine legislative fixes but fundamental rewrites of how Congress and the presidency operate.
What the text implies
- The two-thirds tax supermajority would effectively lock in current tax rates and exemptions, making it nearly impossible to raise revenue even during crises or to close tax loopholes without overwhelming consensus—a structural advantage to low-tax ideology.
- Term limits would eliminate senior committee members and institutional expertise, potentially weakening Congress's ability to oversee the executive branch and manage complex legislation, while the line-item veto simultaneously concentrates spending power in the presidency.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
high-income earners and wealth holders; corporations with tax exemptions and subsidies; industries reliant on tax credits (fossil fuels, real estate, finance)