House Republicans ready push for balanced-budget amendment

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Some House Republicans are expressing renewed confidence that the push for a balanced-budget constitutional amendment will gain real steam in the 112th Congress — aided by the newly elected crop of budget-slashing GOP freshmen.

"We're very optimistic that we'll be able to get a vote on this at some point," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), who has introduced two separate balanced-budget amendment measures.

The bill garnering the most support is House Joint Resolution 2, which Goodlatte said mirrors the balanced-budget amendment in former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's Contract With America. It's essentially the same bill that passed the House in 1995 and came within one vote of getting through the Senate.

"Right now I'm just in the process of signing up as many co-sponsors as I can," said Goodlatte, who noted that he hasn't yet spoken to the Republican leadership about moving the measure to the floor. "There's such great support for this both outside and within the Congress, that I anticipate we can move it."

Goodlatte has already signed on 137 co-sponsors, including one House Democrat — Rep. Jim Matheson (Utah) — and he said both Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) have supported his push for a balanced-budget amendment in the past.

The Hill

Oh, if this would be the only thing this Congress accomplishes it would be huge! I'm not holding my breath on this, but I might cross my fingers.

 

[loosecannon]

It would be huge.

But I bet you ten bucks the GOP won't support it.

 

[Sallow]

Bring back Pay-Go.

Without tax cuts factored into the overall budget..this makes no sense.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

It would be huge.

But I bet you ten bucks the GOP won't support it.

I wouldn't take the bet because you're probably right.

 

[JamesInFlorida]

Hope it passes, but something tells me this is something that politicians will say they support...but in the end they wont go for (either side).

 

[Avatar4321]

We shouldn't need it. It should be common sense not to go into debt to the degree we have.

We have to limit our freedom here to fix the problems. it's sad.

 

[Flopper]

A balance budget amendment is a good idea, but I doubt it would work. You would need exceptions for national disasters and defense spending and there would have to be an override mechanism to handle other disasters plus it would have to be phased in over a period of years.

Like the healthcare repeal bill, it will be dead duck, nothing more than a political statement and keeping campaign promises.

 

[uscitizen]

It would be huge.

But I bet you ten bucks the GOP won't support it.

They will put on a front of supporting it, but will kill it on the sly if they need to.

 

[Madeline]

I dun understand how this could work. Repay over $14 Trillion in debt before spending another dollar?