The House Judiciary Committee (I’m a member) held a hearing last week. I’m quite sure you didn’t see it on the news, or read about it in the paper. But it was about something very important.
It concerned the $17.5 trillion debt we all have hanging over our heads. And what we can do about it. And that something is, passing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Now I’d like to think that our Congresses and our Presidents are responsible enough that they would logically conclude that our government shouldn’t spend more than it takes in. And for 140 years of our nation’s history, from 1789 when George Washington was sworn in as our first President, until 1932 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in, balanced budgets each year were the norm. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. And it’s gotten so bad, that since 1960, we’ve only had a balanced budget for six of the last 54 years. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a crime.
What can be done to get our elected leadership in Washington to actually balance the budget? Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment. It wouldn’t be unprecedented. Most states in fact have it in their state constitutions that they must balance their budgets each year. It requires them to make tough choices – either restrain spending, or raise taxes.
Of course our founding fathers set a high bar to amend the Constitution. It takes a 2/3s vote in the House of Representatives, a 2/3s vote in the Senate, and then 3/4s of the state legislatures must affirm the amendment.
We came very close in my first term in Congress, back in 1995, when Republicans took over the House for the first time in 40 years. 2/3s of the House (including me), voted yes. But then we missed getting 2/3s in the Senate – by one vote! It was one of the most disappointing moments in my life.
How realistic is it that we’ll come up with the votes in the House and Senate to pass the Balanced Budget Amendment in the near future? Unfortunately, not very.
When we last held a vote on a balanced budget back in 2011, 97% of Republicans in the House voted for it, but only 13% of the Democrats voted for it, so we failed to get the necessary 2/3s. And over in the Senate 100% of Republican Senators voted for it, but 100% of Senate Democrats voted against it, so it failed there too.
The only way we’ll ever get the Balanced Budget Amendment into law is if the public gets energized about it, and pushes their individual representatives in Congress to support it. You don’t need to urge me to support it, I already do. But I’d encourage you to contact your friends and relatives in other communities and states to contact their representatives in Congress to get on board.
It’s important.
