Raleigh, N.C. – As the country approaches its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, North Carolina Sen. David Rouzer (R – Johnston) has filed a bill which petitions Congress to adopt a Constitutional Amendment to require a balanced federal budget.
Senate Bill 610 would call a constitutional convention under Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution which requires a collective petition of two-thirds of U.S. states to accomplish this budget balancing objective. In 1979, inflation and federal spending prompted North Carolina to appeal Congress through a Joint Resolution. The state then joined 32 others in the 1980’s (two states away from the 34 state requirement) to call a Constitutional Convention and pass a balanced budget amendment.
“It’s uncanny the similarity of circumstances that prompted North Carolina to file such a petition then,” said Civitas Institute policy analyst Andrew Henson.
Historically, 32 applications for a Constitutional Convention have been filed, falling short of only two state legislatures necessary to build critical mass for a Constitutional Convention. Reports claim that 30 state legislatures are currently considering legislation that petitions Washington for a budget balancing constitutional amendment or an Article 5 Constitutional Convention. This bill comes on the heels of a recent grim warning of the U.S. debt outlook by the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating agency on the effects of future federal deficits.
“With all of the concern over the outlook on U.S. debt, state legislatures across the nation are considering taking measures into their own hands to balance the federal budget,” added Henson.
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