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. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this dangerous, dishonest, and undemocratic resolution.

It is dangerous because it would require shredding the social safety net and gutting vital investments in healthcare, infrastructure, and public safety.

It is dishonest because the same Republicans who hold all the levers of power can pass a balanced budget any time they want, but instead they pass tax cuts for billionaires, creating trillions of dollars in deficits.

It is fundamentally undemocratic because it bakes in policy choices that should be the decision of future Congresses. Each Congress, elected by the people, should decide the contours of its own budget, but this resolution requires a two-thirds majority to raise taxes but only a simple majority to cut taxes. That puts a thumb on the scale for massive spending cuts rather than ensuring that billionaires pay their fair share.

If my Republican colleagues believe so strongly in a balanced budget, then they should pass one. However, this resolution, which will never become law, is nothing more than a press release that lets them pretend to care about deficits without doing the hard work of actually legislating. Vote ``no.''

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