Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring a balanced budget for the Federal Government.

If ratified and implemented, this would fundamentally constrain federal fiscal capacity. During the 2008-09 recession, federal revenues fell sharply while safety-net demands surged; a balanced budget requirement would have forced automatic cuts to Social Security, Medicare, defense, or required immediate 20%+ tax increases mid-recession. The amendment creates a structural trap: if revenues fall (recession, lower growth), spending must fall proportionally—preventing automatic stabilizers. The two-thirds tax vote requirement means any revenue increase needs supermajority support, likely forcing spending cuts or reducing benefits instead. States with balanced budget requirements (all 50) remain solvent by borrowing long-term and running short-term surpluses; the federal government cannot follow this model because federal debt serves as world reserve collateral. Precedent: European austerity following the 2008 crisis (Spain, Greece, Italy) relied on similar constraints and prolonged recessions by 2-4 years. The amendment's exemption of debt payments means interest on existing debt becomes protected spending, forcing cuts to discretionary programs first.