Let’s get this out of the way quickly. Nothing. As long as you don’t pollute the concept of dollars in versus dollars out by throwing in other non-related issues into the mix.
Does that mean that a balanced budget amendment shouldn’t be a requirement of raising the debt limit? Hell no. It’s the primary reason we need a constitutional amendment to require those on Capitol Hill to limit what they spend to federal revenue, and they’ll never do that on their own.
The balanced budget amendment is not a new concept. It’s something that has been talked about for 30 years. So why hasn’t it been passed by Congress and then sent to the states for ratification? Well, think about it for a minute. These are the same people that have spent us into the current debt Armageddon. Bringing home the bacon would be a lot harder if suddenly the pig was limited in size to what he was fed. Suddenly, slicing up that meager pig doesn’t seem so enticing and nothing happens.
But something changed these past few years; Mr. Obama and the Tea Party. The President broke all spending records, even those rather lofty ones set by Mr. Bush. The insanity in Washington planted the seeds for a thriving grassroots movement that not only dramatically effected the 2010 mid-term elections, but has a major impact on the operations of the House of Representatives.
Even the longer-term residents of the House and the Senate have heard the call of the Tea Party, knowing that the public has had enough of business as usual in Washington. Yet the Democrats seem to be a little hard of hearing. Perhaps it’s the normal Liberal tendency to spend with all abandon; to address all of society’s woes through government programs and entitlements, and to assume that new fees and taxes will cover the bill. But it never does.
Remember when the Democrats came into the majority in 2008? Speaker Pelosi bragged how her new-found majority in the House would “pay-as-you-go.” It was a complete farce. Pay-go, the talking point key phrase that made the Sunday show rounds for months into Speaker Pelosi’s tenure was nothing more than words. Can anyone explain how the stimulus bill was paid for as it went? How about Obamacare, the multi-trillion dollar bullet train to socialized medicine? Pay-as-you-go should’ve been called pay-someday-go-now.
Be it lack of courage, political paybacks or the corruption of money counted in the trillions, there simply won’t be a majority of Democrats that will support a balanced budget amendment.
Forty-nine states have a balanced budget amendment, and it has served them pretty well, but as long as Democrats hold the White House and a majority in either branch of the legislature, a balanced budget amendment might as well be a resignation letter and God knows that most of them up on Mount Olympus believe holding their seat is more precious than life itself.
It’s way past time that all Americans require their representatives and Senators sign a budget balance amendment pledge or let them return home and find a way to spend their own money and not ours.
There’s a freight train coming and those up on Capitol Hill that don’t see it, regardless of party, will feel the steel of the wheels crushing their political careers. We’ve had enough and November 2010 was just a preview. A balanced budget amendment assures that the government live as thousands upon thousands of municipalities do, all the states and over 300 million citizens. Start acting responsible.