[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E19-E20]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE BALANCED BUDGET CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 6, 2009

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I rise to re-introduce legislation that 
will amend the United States Constitution to force Congress to rein in 
spending by balancing the federal budget.
  It is common sense to American families that they cannot spend more 
than they have--yet far too frequently, this fundamental principle has 
been lost on a Congress that is too busy spending to pay attention to 
the bottom line.
  Our federal government must be lean, efficient and responsible with 
the dollars that our Nation's citizens worked so hard to earn. We

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must work to both eliminate every cent of waste and squeeze every cent 
of value out of each dollar our citizens entrust to us. Families all 
across our Nation understand what it means to make tough decisions each 
day about what they can and cannot afford and government officials 
should be required to exercise similar restraint when spending the 
hard-earned dollars of our Nation's citizens.
  Congress took a dramatic step forward during the 109th Congress when 
it passed the Deficit Reduction Act. This law found savings of 
approximately $40 billion over five years by eliminating wasteful 
spending and programs. This legislation was an important first step, 
but it was just that--a first step. Furthermore, the legislation was 
passed by the Senate by a margin of just one vote and was passed by the 
House by a margin of two votes, which shows exactly how difficult the 
task of balancing the budget is--and how important it is to force 
Congress to do so. This is exactly why I am re-introducing this 
legislation today.
  My legislation, which garnered 163 bipartisan cosponsors in the 110th 
Congress, would amend the Constitution to require that total spending 
for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts and require the President 
to propose budgets to Congress that are balanced each year. It would 
also provide an exception in times of war and during military conflicts 
that pose imminent and serious military threats to national security.
  Furthermore, the legislation would make it harder to increase taxes 
by requiring that legislation to increase revenue be passed by a true 
majority of each chamber and not just a majority of those present and 
voting. Finally, the bill requires a 3/5 majority vote for any 
increases in the debt limit.
  This concept is not new. 49 out of 50 states have a balanced budget 
requirement.
  It has become clear that it is extremely difficult for Congress to 
agree on a budget that is fiscally responsible. By amending the 
Constitution to require a balanced budget, we can force Congress to 
control spending, paving the way for a return to surpluses and 
ultimately paying down the national debt, rather than allow big 
spenders to lead us further down the road of chronic deficits and in 
doing so leave our children and grandchildren saddled with debt that is 
not their own.
  Our Nation faces many difficult decisions in the coming years, and 
Congress will face great pressure to spend beyond its means rather than 
to make difficult decisions about spending priorities. Unless Congress 
is forced to make the decisions necessary to create a balanced budget, 
it will always have the all-too-tempting option of shirking this 
responsibility. The Balanced Budget Constitutional amendment is a 
common sense approach to ensure that Congress is bound by the same 
fiscal principles that America's families face each day.
  I urge support of this important legislation.

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