Ernst: Iowans balance their checkbooks and spend within their means; it’s long past time Washington does the same

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), known as the Senate’s leading foe of wasteful government spending, is calling for Congress to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, forcing Washington to balance the federal budget every single year.

 

“Every year Iowa households and small businesses have to balance their checkbooks and spend within their means. Even the majority of state legislatures across the country have some form of a balanced budget law. There’s no reason our federal government shouldn’t do the same. It’s past time we adopt a Balanced Budget Amendment to our nation’s constitution to make sure Washington politicians are forced to make the math work and never spend more than we take in,” said Senator Joni Ernst.

 

Ernst is a cosponsor of a Senate resolution proposing a constitutional amendment. The legislation proposes a constitutional amendment that would:

• Require the President to submit a balanced budget
• Require Congress to pass a balanced budget
• Restrict federal spending to 18 percent of the Gross Domestic Product
• Require two-thirds majority votes in the House and Senate to raise taxes
• Require a new three-fifths majority vote in both houses of Congress to raise the debt limit

 

The resolution also includes certain spending waivers for use during wartime or imminent danger to national security.

 

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