1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Balanced Budget Amendments Megan S. Lynch Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process James V. Saturno Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process April 10, 2018 A balanced budget amendment (BBA) proposes to
2、amend the U.S. Constitution to require that “outlays shall not exceed revenues.” Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote of approval in both houses of Congress as well as ratification by three-fourths of the states. Common Components of BBAs Proposed BBAs have historically included addit
3、ional provisions that may be as contentious as the requirement that outlays not exceed revenues. Such provisions are summarized below. Supermajority vote threshold for permitting outlays to exceed receipts. These provisions typically require a supermajority vote in each chamber on legislation provid
4、ing for any excess of outlays over receipts. They have varied by the proportion of Members required to agree to such an excess, with some proposals requiring three-fifths and others requiring two-thirds of each chamber. Supermajority vote threshold for debt limit increase. These provisions typically