State senators voted Tuesday to make Florida the 20th state to demand a balanced federal budget and limited federal restrictions on state spending, despite Democrats complaints that such a measure could limit federal aid to the states.
The concurrent resolution, proposed by Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, calls for the state to join 19 others in demanding a constitutional convention to create a balanced budget amendment to the federal Constitution. It would need to pass the House and Senate.
The resolution passed the Senate 28-12 but has yet to come before the House.
Leading the charge for the resolution was Sen. Joe Negron, R-Palm City, who told fellow lawmakers the federal governments overspending has resulted in a national debt equal to 70 percent of the nations GDP.
Our country is drowning in red ink, Negron announced.
With the national debt predicted to equal 80 percent of the national GDP by years end, the country would be faced with a financial burden that would trickle down to Florida and affect generations to come, he said.
Florida is required to balance its budget every year. A federal balanced budget amendment, which must be passed by 38 states at a constitutional convention, will force the federal government to do the same.
Leading Senate Democrats said the measure is too simplistic and could inhibit future federal aid. They said it was wrong for the state to shackle the federal government after benefiting from one of its largest aid expenditures: the $787 billion federal stimulus package passed last year.
These are bumper-sticker solutions, and I dont want to be part of it, said Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach.
Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami Gardens, recalled memories of the bleak situation the country faced in the Great Depression, as told to her by her father.
Wilson said the federal aid programs were crucial to helping both state and nation recover from the economic turmoil of the 1930s and 1940s. The stimulus package passed last year does the same, she said. It has provided Florida with about $14.4 billionin needed funds in the current recession, and those funds helped the state balance its budget last year.
Requiring the federal government to balance its budget inhibits its ability to passnew aid measures, she added.
I think that what were doing is suggesting a simplistic solution thats a little too simplistic she said.
Negron countered that the demand for a balanced federal budget would not eliminate the governments ability to send federal aid to states. But to come up with the money it needs, the federal government would have to trim existing programs.
We cant say they shouldn't send any money to the states, he said. But, they shouldnt send money to the states they don't have.
Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, said the senators, who basically voted along party lines, were allowing partisan politics to interfere with their judgment on the proposal. He said demanding the balanced budget was the right thing to do.
What were doing now should be illegal, he said. We got to make it illegal.
The federal amendments convention that would be required for states to pass the balanced budget amendment must be called for by two-thirds, 34, of the states. Nineteen states have called for a convention so far, with Texas being the largest.
Once a convention is held, the amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the 50 states.
