Proposed amendment would require 75% vote in Congress to raise debt
In committeeH.J.Res. 9Latest action
Sponsor: Tom McClintock · Representative · CA
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibiting the United States Government from increasing its debt except for a specific purpose by law adopted by three-fourths of the membership of each House of Congress.
119th Congress
Topics: Jobs & the economy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
A proposed constitutional amendment would require three-fourths of Congress, not a , to increase the .
40-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring three-fourths of all members in both the House and Senate to approve any increase in the , and only for a specific named purpose. This replaces the current process. If passed and ratified, the amendment would not take effect until ten years after ratification.
Who does it affect?
This would affect essentially everyone in the country, since it governs how the federal government funds programs like Social Security, Medicare, defense, infrastructure, and emergency response.
Why does it matter?
Requiring a much larger could make it harder to borrow quickly during emergencies, recessions, or wars, while proponents say it would impose more fiscal discipline. The proposal is only introduced in the House and has not passed or been sent to the states.
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Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedJan 3, 2025
- House committeeYou are here · Jan 3, 2025
- House vote
- Senate
- Sent to the states
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House. Both chambers have to pass the same text, each by two thirds. A proposed constitutional amendment never goes to the president: it goes to the states, and three quarters of them have to ratify it before it takes effect.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.