ATLANTA – State Representative Andy Welch (R-Locust Grove) authors House Resolution 1137 that calls for a constitutional convention for the purpose of amending the United States Constitution to require Congress to operate under a balanced budget.
“Our Founding Fathers added the amendment process to our constitution to help secure the blessings of liberty, and with the national debt consuming almost 95% of GDP, our recent credit downgrade, and Congress unable to get spending under control, the time has come to initiate this constitutional fail-safe,” said Rep. Welch.
If HR 1137 passes, Georgia would join 18 other states that have passed similar resolutions in their respective state legislatures. Two-thirds of the states (34 States) are required to pass similar resolutions for the convention to occur and three-fourth of the states (38 States) would have to pass the amendment that the convention produces for ratification.
49 states in the United States currently operate under a balanced budget provision. Rep. Welch’s Resolution has received bipartisan support in the House in addition to 59 other cosponsors.
State Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) has introduced a corresponding resolution in the Senate in the form of Senate Resolution 673.
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