[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17702]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today we begin debate on H.J. Res. 2, the 
balanced budget amendment. This resolution is similar to the amendment 
that nearly passed the Congress over 15 years ago. I can only imagine 
how much improved our current fiscal situation would be today if the 
amendment would have passed then. In that time, we have seen the 
national debt increase from just over $5 trillion then to more than $15 
trillion now.
  This rapid rise in public debt endangers our currency and creates 
deep economic uncertainty. For some of that time, we had a balanced 
budget; and we did it with a government divided between the political 
parties. It was not easy to negotiate, but we made it happen. We need 
to get back to balanced budgets and go further to pay down our debt. A 
balanced budget amendment will require us to take that action.
  We cannot endlessly pile up debt. That is a recipe for disaster, and 
we have to turn things around. To help us accomplish that, we need a 
constitutional amendment ratified by the American people.

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