adopted
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16
(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, and Chafin)
Urging Congress to provide full information about the effect of
a proposed balanced budget amendment on the people and
governor of West Virginia before submitting it to the
Legislature for ratification.
Whereas, The constitution of the United States of America is
the most perfect example of a contract between a people and their
government; and
Whereas, The Congress of the United States is currently
considering an amendment to the constitution, known as the
"Balanced Budget Amendment"; and
Whereas, The House of Representatives has already approved
its version of such a balanced budget amendment; and
Whereas, The House of Representatives approved its version
without obtaining a projection of how it would be implemented;
and
Whereas, The House of Representatives rejected a version of
the balanced budget amendment, offered by Representative Bob Wise
of West Virginia, that would have protected against cuts in social security and would have allowed for both a capital and
operating budget; and
Whereas, The proposal for a balanced budget amendment is now
under active consideration in the United States Senate; and
Whereas, United States Senators Robert C. Byrd and John D.
Rockefeller IV of West Virginia have called for a "right to know"
provision so that the senators would know before they vote how a
balanced budget would be achieved; and
Whereas, The treasury department of the United States has
projected that a balanced budget amendment implemented by across-
the-board cuts would reduce federal grants to West Virginia state
government by seven hundred sixty-five million dollars, requiring
the Legislature to increase state taxes to compensate for such
losses or eliminated the programs and services currently provided
to our citizens by federal funds; and
Whereas, Many citizens of West Virginia would likely suffer
from cuts imposed to meet the requirements of the proposed
balanced budget amendment, including thousands of our citizens
who receive social security, veterans benefits, medicare,
medicaid and other essential benefits; and
Whereas, Through the efforts of Senator Robert C. Byrd and
other members of our Congressional delegation appropriations have
been made for numerous projects in West Virginia, including completion of the Appalachian corridor highway system, relocation
of the federal bureau of investigation center to West Virginia
and a myriad of other projects; and
Whereas, These benefits and projects are vital to the
economic development and well being of the people of our state
and deserve to be protected if the constitution is amended to
require a balanced budget; and
Whereas, West Virginia receives $1.45 in federal benefits
for each dollar in federal taxes; and
Whereas, On a per capita basis, each man, woman and child
receives approximately two thousand dollars more in benefits from
the federal government than he or she pays in federal taxes; and
Whereas, A proposal to balance the federal budget by
returning the programs to the states would mean that West
Virginia would be required to either raise its taxes by two
thousand dollars for each man, woman and child or eliminate the
programs and services currently provided to our citizens by
federal funds; and
Whereas, The balanced budget amendment would be submitted to
the Legislature for ratification if approved by the Congress; and
Whereas, This Legislature will be unable to establish its
own budget without knowing what reductions will be made by the
Congress to effect the balanced budget amendment; and
Whereas, This Legislature therefore has a right to know what
effect the proposed balanced budget amendment would have on state
government, but more importantly, on the people of our state;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature recognizes that a balanced federal
budget is a desirable objective; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature commends the
president and the Congress for their efforts toward this
objective by supporting and enacting legislation that will result
in the reduction of the federal deficit for three years in a row;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature will be asked to vote
for ratification of a balanced budget amendment to the
constitution if such a measure is submitted to the states by the
Congress; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislature, acting on behalf of
the citizens of West Virginia in deciding whether to ratify such
an amendment, is entitled to be fully informed of its
consequences on our people; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Congress is hereby urged to
submit such an amendment to the states for ratification only if
it provides a detailed projection of what reductions will be made in the federal budget and how these will affect the government
and people of West Virginia, including but not limited to, the
effect on social security benefits, veterans benefits, medicare,
medicaid, education, highway moneys, including competition of the
Appalachian corridor system, and other programs necessary for the
health and well-being of the people of our state; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
requested to forward a copy of this resolution to the president
of the United States Senate, the speaker of the House of
Representatives and each member of the West Virginia
Congressional delegation.