NTU urges all Senators to vote “YES” on S.J.Res. 10, the “Consensus” Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) to the Constitution. Sponsoredby Sen. Hatch (R-UT) and Sen. Lee (R-UT), this amendment would establish strongconstitutional limits on the size and future growth of the federal government.
S.J.Res. 10 would serve as a guardrail to keep future fiscal policy on a moresustainable and rational course. Among its many pro-taxpayer provisions, itwould direct the President to submit, and Congress to enact, a balanced budgetwhile allowing for a two-thirds vote to authorize any specific excess. It wouldalso put the proper focus on the true cause of our fiscal maladies:overspending. By including an expenditure limitation consistent with averagepost-World War II revenues, this version of the BBA would provide a vital checkon irresponsible budgeting. Furthermore, it would protect taxpayers bypreventing a tax increase unless two-thirds of the House and Senate vote to doso.
NTUalso urges Senators to vote “NO” on S.J. Res. 24, a BBA in name only due to severalprovisions that subvert its effectiveness and facilitate excessive spending.Introduced by Sen. Udall (D-CO), this amendment would exclude Social Securityfrom the balance calculation, thus deliberately ignoring one of the chiefdrivers of the federal deficit and creating many opportunities for budgetarymischief. S.J. Res. 24 would also enshrine class-warfare in the Constitution bybanning any reduction in income taxes for those with gross incomes in excess of$1 million if the budget became unbalanced in any year impacted by the taxreduction. Given these and other loopholes, S.J. Res. 24 is clearly meant to providepolitical cover for Senators who want to give the impression of supporting theBBA without voting for one that will actually do the job of controlling federalexpenditures, taxes, and debt.
Roll call votes in favor of S.J.Res. 10, a strong Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, and inopposition to the bogus “substitute,” S.J. Res. 24, will be among the mostheavily weighted of the year in our annual Rating of Congress.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Federal Government Affairs Manager Brandon Greife at(703) 683-5700