1Calling for amendments in accordance with Article V of the
2Constitution of the United States to limit Federal spending.

3WHEREAS, Under the Constitution of the United States the
4Federal Government was envisioned as operating with defined,
5specific power; and

6WHEREAS, James Madison, Father of the Constitution,
7reinforced this limited Federal role in Federalist Paper No. 45:

8"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the
9federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to
10remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite";

11and

12WHEREAS, The Federal Government has grown over time and now
13consumes nearly 25% of all goods and services produced by the
14American people; and

15WHEREAS, Yearly deficits routinely exceed $1 trillion; and

16WHEREAS, A fiscal operating debt now exceeding $17 trillion
17is expected to exceed $26 trillion in a decade; and

18WHEREAS, The total accumulated unfunded liabilities for

1Federal entitlement programs now exceeds $90 trillion and grows
2by $4 trillion to nearly $7 trillion each year; therefore be it

3RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
4General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in
5accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United
6States, call for amendments providing for a balanced budget,
7limiting spending to 17.5% of gross domestic product and
8requiring a three-fifths vote to raise the debt ceiling; and be
9it further

10RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the
11President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
12each house of Congress, to the 49 other state legislatures and
13to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.