House to vote on spending limits

Fri., Nov. 11, 2011

WASHINGTON – House GOP leaders have scheduled a vote next week on a constitutional amendment that would require a balanced federal budget.

But they’re shelving a version of the amendment that tea party activists favored. Instead, the Republican leaders are pressing for Democratic votes in hopes of actually passing the measure. That’s what happened in 1995, with lots of help from Democrats.

The amendment requires that Congress not spend more than it receives in revenues unless three-fifths of both the House and the Senate vote to do so and requires the president to submit a balanced budget to Congress.

There appear to be fewer Democratic backers now than there were in 1995, when 72 House Democrats voted for the amendment. To amend the Constitution, it takes a two-thirds vote in both House and Senate and ratification by 38 states. At least 48 Democratic votes are needed to get the required two-thirds margin in the GOP-controlled House.

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House to vote on spending limits

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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