[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE BALANCED BUDGET CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

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                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 4, 2007

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I rise to 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 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, corporate officers are 
required to act in the best interests of their shareholders when using 
company resources, and government officials should be held to similar 
standards when spending the hard-earned dollars of our nation's 
citizens.
  Congress took a dramatic step forward last year when it passed the 
Deficit Reduction Act. This new law found savings of approximately $40 
billion over the next 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.
  In the 109th Congress, we were fortunate to have a majority in the 
House and Senate that had an appetite for reining in spending but we 
stil have to make considerable strides to achieve a balanced budget. 
Only time will tell whether future Congresses will have this appetite 
as well. However, one thing is certain--if we pass an amendment to the 
U.S. Constitution that requires a balanced budget, Congress will have 
to act accordingly regardless of which party is in control in 
Washington, D.C. This is exactly why I am introducing this legislation 
today.
  My legislation 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 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 must 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. Forty-nine out of fifty 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.
  Yesterday, President Bush also highlighted the importance of a 
balanced federal budget by announcing his plan to present Congress with 
a budget proposal that will balance the budget by 2012. I applaud the 
President for his announcement and look forward to working with him to 
bring fiscal responsibility back to the federal government.
  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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