REFERENCE TITLE: federal government; fiscal responsibility

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-first Legislature First Regular Session 2013

HCM 2005

Introduced by Representatives Thorpe, Gowan, Livingston, Montenegro, Orr, Seel: Barton, Boyer, Fann, Hale, Kavanagh, Shope, Smith

 

A CONCURRENT MEMORIAL

 

urging the united states congress to implement fiscally responsible spending and budget measures, including the proposal of a balanced budget amendment to the united states constitution.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Congress of the United States of America:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, the citizens of this state have never, by popular vote, by national referendum or by instructions to their representatives in Congress, authorized or endorsed the massive annual federal deficit spending or the enormous, incomprehensible national debt that has more than tripled during the past twelve years to more than sixteen trillion dollars.  Without direct authorization or consent, each Arizona taxpayer is currently and unjustly burdened with more than $142,000 as an individual share of the ballooning national debt; and

Whereas, the recent fiscal cliff debate demonstrates how ignorant our President and Congress are concerning this enormous looming fiscal crisis.  This has never been a problem of inadequate taxation, but rather reflects Washington's insatiable urge to spend too much money.  The root cause of this voracious spending is Congress's unlimited, unregulated ability to borrow and print money in the name and full credit of the American people; and

Whereas, forty-nine of the states operate under balanced budget requirements.  This fiscal constraint must become mandatory at the federal level, thereby forcing Congress to stop the irresponsible practice of borrowing and spending unlimited amounts of money and indebting all citizens of the individual states.  If Congress continues its refusal to propose a meaningful balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution, this task must be completed by two-thirds of the states that meet and propose and impose a federal balanced budget amendment on Congress.  The state legislatures are the only other elected body with the constitutional authority, as provided by our nation's founders, to propose constitutional amendments.

Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:

1.  That the United States Congress propose a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution in which spending does not exceed revenues.

2.  That the United States Congress abide by its constitutional and fiduciary responsibilities and submit and operate within an annual balanced federal budget.

3.  That the United States Congress cease and desist in engaging in deficit spending and borrowing money, actions that mortgage the future prosperity for generations of Americans.

4.  That the United States Congress eliminate as quickly as possible all crushing national debt, which seriously injures our creditworthiness and places both the individual states and the nation at risk of financial ruin and collapse.

5.  That the United States Congress reduce the size and cost of the federal government and the number of federal employees to pre-2006 levels, end automatic annual baseline budgeting increases in the cost and size of the federal government, and ensure that federal employee salaries and benefits do not exceed those of a national average of similar public and private sector jobs.

6.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.