Walker Keeps His Promise, Forces a Balanced Budget Amendment Vote on the House Floor

Press Release

U.S. Representative Mark Walker (R-N.C.) today released the following statement after H.J.Res. 2, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, failed to receive the two-thirds majority needed for passage on the U.S. House of Representatives floor in a 233-184 vote:

"Part of the reason I ran for Congress was frustration with Washington's inability to spend within its means and show fiscal leadership. That is why I made a pledge to the people of North Carolina to push for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. Last year, I secured this important vote and kept my promise, before knowing that this Congress would go on to inscribe reckless trillion dollar deficits into law with rushed spending bills. That vote - along with the unfortunate outcome today - highlights Washington's lack of willpower and courage to focus on future generations, rather than future ballots. I will remain committed to ensuring that the federal government lives within its means, just like every family in North Carolina."

"The bill was brought to the floor under an agreement made between Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (R-N.C.) in October," The Hill reported.

Since then, Walker has been sounding the alarm on our nation's fiscal crisis and has been a leading voice for fiscal conservatism in Washington.

"Fueled by Washington's inability or indisposition to be fiscally responsible, our debt has mounted to dangerous levels, not because of a lack of tax revenue, but a lack of political willpower to contain the rapid growth of government," Walker wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Times last month. "It's time to live within our means as a government -- just like the families and individuals we were sent here to represent. As a collective goal for this legislative year, we want to ensure that an effective and enforceable Balanced Budget Amendment passes the House of Representatives."

Walker has also penned articles on how a Balanced Budget Amendment is only one step to reining in federal spending, and he has been a vocal critic of the recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act, also known as an "omnibus," which had a $1.3 trillion price tag. U.S. Representatives were only given roughly 17 hours to review the 2,232-page bill.

In June of 2014, after winning the Republican primary for North Carolina's sixth congressional district, Walker signed a pledge to the people of North Carolina saying he would support a Balanced Budget Amendment to rein in the national debt.

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