A Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution

Floor Speech

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Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation I am introducing today: A balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This is the first bill I am introducing as a Member of Congress, and it is because I believe we need to get our fiscal house in order as it is the issue of our time.

For the first time ever, we risk passing off to our kids and grandkids a country with fewer opportunities and less freedoms than the ones we inherited, and our out-of-control debt is the reason why.

What was a problem a decade ago is quickly becoming a full-blown crisis. We didn't get into this mess because anyone thinks that the path that we are on is sustainable. We got here because Congress has lacked the political will to do anything about it. That is why we need to fundamentally reform how this place operates in order to get the outcomes that Americans deserve.

States across America are required to balance their books. In Indiana, we make responsible spending choices and exercise fiscal discipline every single day. It is high time we brought that same Hoosier common sense to Washington, and a balanced budget amendment is the way to do it.

I encourage my colleagues to support my legislation and join me in the fight to restore fiscal responsibility.

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