Bill > H3318

This bill calls on Article V of the United States Constitution, which outlines the process for amending the Constitution, to convene a convention of the states. The purpose of this convention would be to propose amendments that would require the federal government to balance its budget, meaning that federal spending in any fiscal year cannot exceed estimated federal revenues, unless there is a national emergency, and to implement other fiscal restraints. The bill argues that this action is necessary because the federal government has accumulated an unsustainable national debt, engaged in partisan gridlock regarding spending, and overstepped its bounds by imposing unfunded federal mandates on states. Massachusetts is applying to Congress, joining other states that have made similar applications, to reach the two-thirds of states needed to trigger a convention for proposing a balanced budget amendment. This application is considered ongoing until enough states join or Congress proposes a similar amendment.