Republicans Offer Balanced Budget Amendment for Conference Vote

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) “today led a group of Senate Republicans including Senators Jim Demint (R-SC), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), David Vitter (R-LA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), John Ensign (R-NV), and John Thune (R-SD), and Senators-elect Rand Paul (R-KY), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Mike Lee (R-UT), in sending a letter to Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander notifying him that they intend to propose a resolution at the Republican Conference meeting on November 16th, 2010, which states that a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution is necessary to restore fiscal discipline,” according to a press release.

We are writing to notify you that we intend to propose the following Resolution at the Republican Conference meeting on November 16:

“It is Resolved by the United States Senate Republican Conference:

(1) That a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution is necessary to restore fiscal discipline to our Republic;

(2) That a Balanced Budget Amendment should require the President to submit to Congress a proposed budget prior to each fiscal year in which total federal spending does not exceed total federal revenue;

(3) That a Balanced Budget Amendment should include a requirement that a supermajority of both houses of Congress be necessary to increase taxes;

(4) That a Balanced Budget Amendment should include a limitation on total federal spending.”

(credit image – daylife/associated press)