House Joint Resolution to Propose a Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit Drunkenness
4/21/1938
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Some people couldn’t let it go, even five years after the repeal of Prohibition by the 21st Amendment. But instead of prohibiting alcohol sales, this amendment proposed to regulate personal behavior by prohibiting drunkenness. The absurdity of this was cheekily pointed out in the handwritten note at the bottom, which proposed adding an equally far-fetched effort to abolish Saturday nights. Transcription of handwritten note Why not add: Section 3. That period of time, commonly known as Saturday night, is hereby stricken from the calendar of the United States, and abolished. Section 4. Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to change human nature from time to time in its or their discretion.
A joint resolution is a formal opinion adopted by both houses of the legislative branch. A constitutional amendment must be passed as a joint resolution before it is sent to the states for ratification.
A joint resolution is a formal opinion adopted by both houses of the legislative branch. A constitutional amendment must be passed as a joint resolution before it is sent to the states for ratification.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. House of Representatives.
National Archives Identifier: 24824208
Full Citation: House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) 661 to Propose a Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit Drunkenness with a Handwritten Note; 4/21/1938; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/amendment-drunkenness, June 20, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
