OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing for Expedited Consideration of Certain Nominations

Floor Speech

Date: June 29, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if this week has shown us anything at all, it is that the American people cannot wait on Democrats to do the right thing when it comes to spending and debt and putting us on a path to balance. So today Republicans are beginning the rule XIV process on a balanced budget constitutional amendment.

A balanced budget amendment would require that lawmakers stop spending money we do not have. When we return from the Fourth of July break, we will fight for an opportunity to vote for it.

We have had a chance this week to see how Democrats in Washington want to deal with the fiscal mess they have helped create--by forcing the taxpayers and the job creators to actually bear the burden. Well, Republicans think it is about time Washington bears the burden, for a change. Let Washington find a way to balance the books on its own. The American people have paid enough of a price over the past few years for Washington's recklessness. Republicans are not going to allow Democrats to make them pay even more.

Speaker Boehner has already committed to a balanced budget vote in July, so the Speaker and I are united in this effort. Americans can expect all 47 Republicans in the Senate to support this amendment. It is time to put the American people back at the helm of our ship of state. And if that is what the vote achieves, then the debate we are having will have been well worth it.

If Washington is forced to finally reform its ways, then we will all look back and say the American people, indeed, won this debate. And we will say the balanced budget amendment was just the thing we needed to get our house in order.

Broke or balanced, that is the choice.

Mr. President, I am going to rule XIV the proposal. I do not think the Presiding Officer has it yet. The Chair should have it momentarily. It has miraculously appeared.

I understand there is a joint resolution at the desk. I ask for its first reading.

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