Senate GOP Divided Over Tactics For Balanced-Budget Amendment

Senate Republicans are divided over whether to demand a balanced-budget amendment from the White House as a precondition for increasing the national debt ceiling.

Members of the Senate Tea Party Caucus have said they will filibuster the debt-limit increase unless two-thirds of the upper chamber votes for a balanced-budget amendment. Two-thirds of the House and three-quarters of the states must also ratify the amendment for it to become law.

But other Republicans are looking for more “realistic” concessions from Democrats, acknowledging it will be difficult to persuade at least 20 Democrats to join them in passing an amendment to drastically restrict federal spending.

“I’m in the camp of I want to see a process that leads to some realistic, achievable solutions,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). “I don’t think we’re going to get two-thirds of the Senate and the House.

“I’m willing to vote for a balanced-budget amendment, I think that’s the ultimate solution, but I’m not going to make that a requirement” for raising the debt ceiling, Graham said.

Graham co-sponsored a balanced-budget amendment with Sen. Jim DeMint (S.C.), the conservative chairman of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, in the 111th Congress.

DeMint will oppose an increase to the debt ceiling unless the Senate first passes a balanced-budget measure. A Senate GOP aide said DeMint would not settle for an opportunity merely to vote on a proposed amendment.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said Thursday that he will filibuster legislation to increase the national debt limit unless Democratic leaders promise to support passage of a balanced-budget amendment.

"The only scenario in which I can imagine not using the filibuster is if the leadership of both parties agree that as a condition of that they would first pass out a balanced-budget amendment," Lee told The Hill.

DeMint and Lee are both members of the Tea Party Caucus.

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