ATLANTA—State Representative Paulette Rakestraw Braddock (R-Powder Springs) announced the final passage of House Bill 794 on March 18. Sponsored by Rep. Rakestraw Braddock, HB 794 calls for an Article V constitutional convention with the intent of amending the United States Constitution to include a balanced budget requirement for Congress.
“I am thrilled to see Georgia take the lead to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington,” said Rep. Rakestraw Braddock. “Our Georgia lawmakers are saying, ‘Enough is enough’ to the burgeoning $18 trillion federal debt.”
HB 794 proposes to enter the state of Georgia into a compact with other states as part of an effort to require the federal government to balance its budget. This compact will bind all participating states to an agreed upon convention agenda, which intends to prevent a “run-away convention.” HB 794 also creates a Compact Commission that will lobby other states to join the compact.
“The compact approach transforms the otherwise cumbersome state-initiated amendment process into a “turn-key” operation,” added Rep. Rakestraw Braddock. “It empowers the states to agree in advance to all elements of the amendment process, so that it can be passed in a single session. Thirty-eight states would need to pass the compact in order to approve the proposed balanced budget amendment. It could then be approved by a simple-majority congressional resolution.”
The compact specifically establishes the U.S. government’s spending limits, as well as the level of its outstanding debt. If adopted, the amendment would ensure that Congress cannot authorize an increase in debt without approval from the states. The proposed amendment would also raise the necessary approval threshold for a general revenue tax to a two-thirds vote of each chamber.
Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides states with the right to make amendments to the U.S. Constitution by means of a constitutional convention. In order for a constitutional convention to be called, at least two-thirds, or 34 states, must petition on the same subject. Twenty states have already filed petitions on the subject of a balanced budget amendment. The Compact for a Balanced Budget has been passed by the Arizona House of Representatives and is expected to be taken up by other state legislatures.
For more information about HB 794, please click here.
Representative Paulette Braddock represents the citizens of District 19, which includes portions of Paulding County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the Vice Chairman of Science and Technology. She also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Juvenile Justice, Small Business Development, and Special Rules committees.
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