Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution Relative to Requiring a Balanced Budget--S.J. Res. 24--Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I rise today to join with the Senator from Texas and agree with her about the need for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and agree with her comments about the economy in this country and our need to focus on jobs and debt and the spending. I agree with her and I agree with the majority of the American people. That is why I am here today to talk about the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

We are at a time in the calendar year where the holidays are rapidly approaching. Americans across the country are looking very closely at their budget. That is what families do, they look at their budget and they consider what costs are out there and what money is available to deal with those costs. They are looking at gifts and travel and holiday celebrations. They are carefully balancing their regular monthly expenses with these additional special costs in order to avoid starting the new year with a mountain of new debt. Americans understand there are consequences for irresponsible spending. Folks know if they make decisions which they later decide were not the best decisions, then by New Year's Day bills will come due and they will have real concerns.

Formulating a responsible budget is not always easy, but it is absolutely necessary. It is the right, the reasonable, and the responsible approach. The problem is, unlike the rest of this country, Washington does not seem to be concerned about responsible budgeting. In fact, Washington does not seem to be concerned about any kind of budgeting. In Washington, the President is responsible for submitting a budget every year. Congress is then responsible for passing a budget every year. It has not happened this year; it did not happen last year. The House of Representatives did their job when they passed Paul Ryan's budget, but this body, the Senate, did nothing. In fact, this Senate has not passed a budget in over 950 days.

What has happened in the last 950 days? Well, in 2010, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: ``The single biggest threat to our national security is our debt ..... '' The single biggest threat to our national security is our debt. Washington did nothing.

A year ago this month, the President's bipartisan commission made recommendations to rein in the debt. The recommendations have been largely ignored. More recently, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction failed to present a plan to cut $1.2 trillion from the deficit as required by the legislation. Our national debt is now over $15 trillion. Our credit rating has been lowered for the first time in the history of this great Nation. So here we are, $15 trillion in debt and no real plan to get out of it. The American people deserve better. They expect better.

Back home in Wyoming folks understand the importance of balancing budgets and living within their means. What they don't understand is why Washington doesn't get it. A constituent from my hometown of Casper--Mike Brewster is his name--wrote to me earlier this year. Folks in Wyoming like Mike get it. Mike wrote:

One of the values that makes our state and our communities so strong is being financially solvent. We do not spend more than we make. If we max out our credit cards, we don't ask for higher credit limits, we cut our spending. To do anything else would label one a fool.

Referring to the national debt, he went on in his letter and said:

Let's be clear; this is a crisis. This crisis wasn't caused by a lack of revenue; it was caused by spending way beyond our means. The only logical solution is to reduce spending--that is the ``Wyoming Way.'' That is what your constituents would have to do if they had the same mess in their personal finances, and that is what you must do to properly represent us.

Mike is absolutely right, this is a crisis. It is a crisis that could have been prevented and a crisis where we need to solve it by doing the right thing. If we are going to balance Uncle Sam's checkbook, we need to stop charging everything under the Sun to the taxpayers' credit card. That means we need to stop spending more than we take in, and in order to achieve this, I believe that now, more than ever, we need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

Amending the Constitution is not something I take lightly. This is the single most important document in our Nation's history, and I am very hesitant to suggest amending it. However, Washington's unwillingness and inability to be responsible stewards of taxpayers' dollars has left us no choice. We need to begin the long road to financial recovery by balancing each and every budget. We do it in Wyoming, and Washington should follow suit.

The balanced budget amendment is not a new idea. In fact, a bill that would have sent a balanced budget amendment to the States for ratification failed by one vote in 1997 right here in the Senate. Over the years many Democrats who serve in the Senate today have voiced their support for a balanced budget amendment.

Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, said:

Before I ask for your vote, I owe it to you to tell you where I stand. I'm for ..... a balanced budget amendment.

That was what he said in 2006.

Debbie Stabenow had another similar quote in 2000: ``I crossed the line to help balance the budget, as one of the Democrats that broke with my party.''

Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said back in 1997 when they were voting on a balanced budget amendment: ``I believe we should have a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. I am willing to go for that.''

Senator Tom Harkin said: ``Mr. President, I have long supported a balanced budget amendment. I expect to do so again ..... ''

We could go on and on with Democrats who in the past stood up to support a balanced budget amendment.

It seems to me if folks on the other side of the aisle are serious about balancing the budget, they will support the only balanced budget resolution with teeth. The Republican plan imposes real spending discipline that cannot be undermined by simply raising taxes on hard-working Americans. If we are going to amend the Constitution, we need to make sure the balanced budget requirement cannot be easily sidestepped by either party. The Republican plan does just that.

Our creditors will not wait for a politically convenient time to collect our debts. We simply cannot afford to wait any longer to reduce those debts. Irresponsible, unsustainable spending and debt has consequences, consequences we simply cannot afford to pay.

If you don't believe me, look at Europe. Everyone in this body needs to take a long, hard look at Europe and then decide what future they want for our great Nation. This is not about doing what is right for Democrats or Republicans; it is about doing what is right for all Americans and for this entire country.

As Art Middlestadt from Cheyenne, WY, said in a recent e-mail: Allowing our children to suffer the consequences of Washington's reckless budgeting is unconscionable. Well, this is about showing Art and the rest of America that we hear them and we understand them. Families know this, individuals know this, and the sooner Washington knows this, the better.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of balancing the Federal budget.

I yield the floor.

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