Lead the charge for a balanced federal budget by requiring Congress to spend and borrow under balanced-budget principles.

Lead the Charge for a Balanced Budget: At more than $19 trillion, the national debt now exceeds our gross domestic product and is completely unsustainable. Congress should be required to spend and borrow following the same logical principles as our families and small businesses: balance our checkbooks.

Johnson's 2016 House campaign site said he would lead the charge for a balanced budget and require Congress to follow balanced-budget principles when spending and borrowing.

Mike Johnson on Budget & Economy
archival · campaign_site · model gpt-5.5

Congress.gov lists H.J.Res.2 as a proposed balanced budget constitutional amendment and reports: Latest Action: House - 04/12/2018 ... Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 233 - 184. The CRS summary says it would prohibit total outlays from exceeding total receipts unless three-fifths of each chamber authorized the excess, require a three-fifths vote to increase the public debt limit, and require the President to submit a balanced budget annually.

A concrete balanced-budget requirement was advanced in Johnson's first House term, but it failed in the House and did not become law.

never same_term A for effort

H.J.Res.2 - Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States, 115th Congress
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%

The Clerk records Roll Call 138 on H.J.Res.2, 'Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States,' with Vote Type: 2/3 Yea-And-Nay, Status: Failed, yeas 233 and nays 184. The vote table lists 'Johnson (LA) Republican Louisiana LA Yea.'

Johnson voted for the balanced budget amendment, showing effort, but the required two-thirds vote failed.

never same_term A for effort

Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives - Roll Call 138, H.J.Res.2
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 98%

The bill text proposed: 'Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year' unless three-fifths of each House allowed a specific excess, and 'The limit on the debt of the United States held by the public shall not be increased' unless three-fifths of each House approved it.

The measure directly matched the promise to require Congress to spend and borrow under balanced-budget principles, but it remained only a failed proposed amendment.

never same_term A for effort

Text - H.J.Res.2 - Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 97%

The National Archives page says constitutional amendments 1-10 are the Bill of Rights and 'Amendments 11-27 are listed below'; the final listed amendment is Amendment XXVII, ratified May 7, 1992. No balanced budget amendment is listed among ratified amendments.

As of the current official amendments list, no federal balanced-budget constitutional amendment has been ratified.

never later_term

The Constitution: Amendments 11-27 | National Archives
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

CBO projected for 2025: budget deficit $1.9 trillion, outlays $7.0 trillion, revenues $5.2 trillion. It also projected that federal debt held by the public would rise from 100 percent of GDP in 2025 to 118 percent in 2035.

Federal finances remained far from balanced after Johnson entered Congress, reinforcing that no binding balanced-budget spending and borrowing rule had been delivered.

never later_term

The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2025 to 2035 | Congressional Budget Office
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%