[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  (Mr. BANKS of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BANKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a 
balanced budget amendment which should be one of several steps that we 
take in Congress to control spending.
  As a State senator, I worked with Governors Mitch Daniels and Mike 
Pence to balance Indiana's budget every single year, while lowering 
taxes and investing in key priorities. Today, Indiana has a $1.8 
billion rainy-day fund and a AAA credit rating. Sadly, Washington, 
D.C., has not followed Indiana's example.
  According to the latest estimates from the CBO, the Federal 
Government is set to run $82 trillion in deficits over the next 30 
years. This is simply unsustainable. We cannot allow this crippling 
debt that will burden our children and grandchildren to continue 
growing.
  In the short term, I applaud the Trump administration's decision to 
use the rescission tool to rein in Federal spending. The legislation 
that we are considering today, which would force Congress to balance 
the budget, should be part of a comprehensive effort to address 
spending and get America's finances back in order.
  This amendment will ensure Congress has no excuses and reforms the 
broken congressional budget process. Hoosier families know how to live 
within their means and follow a budget, and Washington ought to do the 
same.

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