The balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution is again up for a vote, this time on the floor of the Senate. According to the Associated Press, two-thirds of the body would have to approve the requirement for Congress to pass a balanced budget every year for it to become part of American law.
The Senate failed last week to reach the required majority and is expected to fall short again Wednesday, as competing proposals from Republicans and Democrats make agreement difficult. The amendment is supported primarily by Republicans and a minority of Democrats, who believe the requirement for a balanced budget is needed to safeguard against trillion-dollar deficits. But the remainder of Democrats are holding out, arguing that such a requirement would result in huge cuts to social programs and other funds reserved for economic rescue.
The House has already voted on a Republican-authored budget, but the proposal last month fell 23 votes short of the majority required to make the amendment part of the Constitution. Past versions in the 1990s also failed to become law, often coming within one vote of passage.
The Senate will consider two dueling proposals—one authored by Republican Orrin Hatch and another from Democrat Mark Udall. Hatch’s proposal would require that federal spending not exceed revenues in the fiscal year, and demand a two-thirds majority to raise taxes. Federal spending could not exceed 18 percent of gross domestic product.
