In a move resonating with fiscal conservatives, Oklahoma Representative Jay Steagall aims to push the federal government towards financial accountability through House Joint Resolution 1036, which seeks an Article V convention to propose a noteworthy constitutional amendment; the requirement that the federal government maintain a balanced budget each fiscal year is at the proposal's heart.
The joint resolution, as announced by Rep. Steagall and detailed on the Oklahoma House website, also lays out consequences for failing to achieve this financial equilibrium, including withheld salaries for the president, members of Congress, and U.S. Supreme Court justices during a government shutdown, the resolution also stipulates that members of Congress and the president would not be eligible for re-election if they fail to meet the balanced budget requirement by a set deadline each year leaving officials with a clear mandate to avoid fiscal anarchy.
"Every day, families and small businesses in Oklahoma make tough choices to balance their budgets," Steagall said. "It’s time for Washington to do the same. Congress cannot keep piling more debt onto the American people. This resolution says enough is enough," according to a statement obtained by the Oklahoma House.
Should Article V of the U.S. Constitution be invoked as Steagall proposes, two-thirds of state legislatures could direct Congress to call for a convention to propose amendments, and such proposals would only be enacted after three-fourths of the states ratify them.
