Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid believes that Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
“I am willing to go for that,” said Reid of Nevada.
Even Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), a liberal stalwart, agreed that spending in Washington needs some control.
“The spending trends are what really motivate me, and I hope others, to accept a constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment,” Feinstein said.
But that was then-- 1997, according to the Congressional Record. So what about now? Will Democrats be against the amendment after they were for it?
According to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, the following Democratic Senators are on record as supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment: Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Mark Begich of Alaska, Bill Nelson of Florida, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Tom Carper of Delaware, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Max Baucus of Montana, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Jon Tester of Montana.
“It’s absolutely critical,” Tester said during a 2006 Senate debate. That’s 21 total (with Reid and Feinstein), and according to a senior Republican aide, they only need 20 Democrat votes to help Republicans pass the amendment.
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“I am willing to go for that,” said Reid of Nevada.
Even Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), a liberal stalwart, agreed that spending in Washington needs some control.
“The spending trends are what really motivate me, and I hope others, to accept a constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment,” Feinstein said.
But that was then-- 1997, according to the Congressional Record. So what about now? Will Democrats be against the amendment after they were for it?
According to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, the following Democratic Senators are on record as supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment: Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Mark Begich of Alaska, Bill Nelson of Florida, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Tom Carper of Delaware, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Max Baucus of Montana, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Jon Tester of Montana.
“It’s absolutely critical,” Tester said during a 2006 Senate debate. That’s 21 total (with Reid and Feinstein), and according to a senior Republican aide, they only need 20 Democrat votes to help Republicans pass the amendment.
Here is more
4 comments:
A BBA is perhaps one of the worst ideas ever...
What will we do if there is a major conflict and we have to increase federal spending by 25%, for example? Cut 25% somewhere else? Do we really want to pick between defending ourselves and supporting the elderly? Or worse, have to raise taxes by 25%?!
The federal gov budget is not like a state and is most definitely not like a household. It cannot be run that way.
Next time you hear a politician talk about a BBA, ask them about the wartime example and see what they say.
WV: nessad
@1:06
BBA/ cut cap and balance allows the spending to increase and go into the red after a 2/3 majority vote in case of a disaster or war like you mentioned. read the bill.
Our defense budget is already way over where it should be.
Some people need to look at history and they'll figure out that pouring money into a defense budget like we do is not good for this country.
Since when do we go into wars with no exit plan and no real strategy?
We should have already won these wars and been back home but apparently those at the top, the ones making the big bucks, don't know what they're doing.
If they worked for a corporation and did such a bad job, they'd be fired in 16 months! It's been almost 10 years and what have we accomplished? Not much for what we've spent and soldiers lives that have been lost or broken forever!
And where are the names of Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin?
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