Proposing An Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Requiring A Balanced Budget for the Federal Government

Floor Speech

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Mr. ONDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this amendment to the U.S. Constitution to require the Federal Government to maintain a balanced budget.

Republicans have warned for years about the dangers of unchecked Federal spending, but because of the Biden administration's unprecedented spending spree and Democrats' ongoing unwillingness to return spending to pre-COVID levels, we are now at a defining crossroad.

Within a few years, the debt held by the public will surpass every previous record in our Nation's history, even levels reached during World War II.

Two years ago for the first time in our Nation's history, we began spending more on net interest on our debt than our entire defense budget. Interest has become the fastest-growing category of Federal spending and is now the second largest expense.

When we spend more on servicing past debt than we spend on veterans, education, and transportation combined, it is clear our national priorities are dangerously off course.

A constitutional amendment is necessary because previous attempts to curb spending are not working. Congress' budget resolution process is routinely ignored. Pay-as-you-go laws are routinely waived. The debt ceiling has been referred to as a ``bad joke,'' and the results are now catching up to us.

Amending the Constitution is, indeed, a drastic measure and should only be employed in the most extreme circumstances, but at almost $40 trillion in national debt, that is exactly where we are today. It is time to end the irresponsible spending spree.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this balanced budget amendment.

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