U.S. House Fails to Pass Balanced Budget Amendment

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass a measure to amend the U.S. Constitution by adding a balanced budget amendment. Supporters of the proposed amendment needed 284 votes to muster a two-third majority, and came up short --garnering 261 votes while 165 votes were cast against it. The last time the proposed amendment came up for a vote in the House, back in 1995, the measure passed with 300 votes though it failed byone vote in the U.S. Senate.

The proposed amendment would have mandated Congress to not spend more than it received in revenue and would have required roll-call votes on any measure raising taxes and a three-fifths vote in both chambers to raise the debt ceiling. The amendment would have also required the White House to submit a balanced budget proposal to Congress. Exceptions were included in the amendment for times of national emergency, including wars.

U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Fla., backed the proposed amendment and released a statement on Friday afternoon after the vote.

I am disappointed the House failed to pass a balanced budget amendment today, said Adams. After decades of irresponsible spending, the American people know that a balanced budget amendment is the clearest way to ensure that Washington finally lives within its means. Sadly, the resolution was defeated today, even though a nearly identical measure passed the House, and almost passed the Senate, in 1995. Just recently, our national debt topped $15 trillion, adding to the mountain of debt the American taxpayer shares.With 14 million Americans out of work, the only way to get our economy back on track and to create jobs is to address the root of our nations economic crisis: overspending. Its unfortunate that some have chosen to put partisan politics ahead of the interests of the American people.

Fifteen years ago, a balanced budget amendment passed the House in a bipartisan manner, Adams added. Despite the national debt tripling since then, some of the same people who once voted for a balanced budget amendment refused to support it today. I am saddened that some members of the Democrat leadership, who once supported a nearly identical bill 15 years ago, encouraged their caucus to vote against it.The American people deserve better.