Moore Backs Balanced Budget Amendment Vote

U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-AL-01) voted this week in favor of a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at forcing Congress to balance the federal budget and tighten spending in Washington.

The measure, House Joint Resolution 139, would require federal spending in any given year to stay at or below the average revenue collected over the prior three years. That limit would be adjusted for both population growth and inflation.

The proposal also sets a high bar for exceeding those limits. Lawmakers would need a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress to approve spending above the cap or to pass any new tax or tax increase.

If ratified by three-fourths of the States, the amendment would take effect five years later, giving Congress time to adjust federal spending and budget practices.

Moore said the plan reflects how families and small businesses already manage their finances.

“Washington has spent decades spending money like drunken sailors and leaving the bill for our children and grandchildren,” said Moore. “Hardworking families across Alabama have to live within their means, and the federal government should too. A balanced budget amendment would finally put real guardrails on Washington’s reckless spending, restore accountability in Congress, and protect the long-term economic future of the American people.”

Balanced budget amendments have been debated in Congress for decades, often gaining support among fiscal conservatives but falling short of the supermajority needed to advance to the States.

Supporters argue the measure would curb long-term debt and force discipline in federal budgeting. Critics, however, warn it could limit Congress’s ability to respond to economic downturns or national emergencies.

H.J. Res. 139 now faces an uncertain path forward, as constitutional amendments require broad bipartisan support to move through Congress and secure ratification by the States.

The text of H.J. Res. 139 may be read HERE.