One of the greatest disappointments I’ve experienced in my 15 years in Congress, occurred during my very first term, back in 1995. The House of Representatives had just recently passed the Balanced Budget Amendment by the necessary two-thirds vote, and it was now the Senate’s turn to take the historic vote.
A number of freshmen House Republicans who supported its passage (including me) marched from the House side of the Capitol Building to the Senate side, to be present for the Senate vote.
One by one they called each Senator’s name out loud and they either voted AYE or NAY. At the time there were 55 Republican Senators and 45 Democratic Senators. Passage required 67 votes out of 100. We got 66. All Republican Senators but one voted for the Balanced Budget Amendment (that one being the late Mark Hatfield of Oregon.) We lost by ONE vote. It was one of the most disappointing experiences of my life.
Now it’s 16 years later. We had about a $4 trillion national debt then – it’s $15 trillion now. Had the Balanced Budget Amendment passed then, our debt now wouldn’t be nearly what it is.
As part of the debt ceiling agreement reached back in August, it was agreed that both the House and the Senate would have an up or down vote once again on the Balanced Budget Amendment this fall. Well, that vote happens in the House – this week.
In the House of Representatives there are 242 Republicans and 192 Democrats. Two thirds of 435 Members of Congress is 290. Therefore, assuming that all 242 Republicans vote for it, we still need 48 Democratic votes. Back in 1995 we got 72 Democratic votes in the House. Unfortunately, this time Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer and the rest of the Democratic leadership in the House are putting on a full-court-press pressuring Democrats to vote against the Balanced Budget Amendment. Why? Because even though they SAY they want to stop Washington’s out-of-control spending, the truth is, they thrive on it. They talk about fiscal responsibility – their actions couldn’t be further from it.
I got ahold of a letter written by Oregon Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio (who supports the Balanced Budget Amendment) written to his fellow Democratic Members of Congress. Here are some excerpts from the letter which he entitled: Reject The Democratic Leadership Recommendation and Support the Balanced Budget Amendment.
I was dismayed to read the Democratic Whip Letter urging Democrats to vote against H.J. Res. 2, the clean Balanced Budget Amendment. I believe our leadership is making a strategic mistake asking Democrats who support a Balanced Budget Amendment to make a partisan stand against it… Did you know that 72 Democrats voted for virtually the identical bill in 1995? Did you know that the 72 affirmative votes included two of our top three current leadership team? I have much respect for our leadership team, but I think they are wrong to ask Democrats to reverse course and oppose H.J. Res. 2… If Democrats walk away from this sincere bipartisan effort, we will have let the American electorate down… A recent national survey conducted in June found that 81% of those polled support a requirement that the federal government balance its budget. Breaking those numbers down by party affiliation, 89% of Republicans favored a Balanced Budget Amendment while 81% of Independents and 74% of Democrats support such a measure… I urge my Democratic colleagues to support H.J. Res. 2 because the American electorate is demanding action… We need to step up and join them (Republicans) by legislating meaningful solutions. Failure to do so risks branding Democrats as partisan politicians unwilling to enact fiscal reforms.
Sincerely,
Peter DeFazio, Member of Congress”
The good news is that those Members of both the House and Senate who choose to ignore the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the American people on this key issue, will be held accountable at the polls less than one year from now. My prediction is that a lot of people in Congress who vote against the Balanced Budget Amendment this fall, will be replaced by people who do support it next fall.