Burton, "Washington is Not Serious About Solving our Nation's Spending Problem"

Statement

Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after H.J. Res 2, proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States, a key mechanism for stopping Washington's job-crushing spending binge and a bipartisan element of the GOP Plan for America's Job Creators, was defeated in the House:

"Today, the House, as required by the Budget Control Act, voted on a Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) to the Constitution. It is disheartening that we could not get the required two-thirds votes needed to pass the BBA. With the National Debt topping $15 Trillion this week and as our country continues to reel from the effects of irresponsible government spending, now more than ever, Congress needed to take bold action to permanently stanch the bleeding.

"Unfortunately, the BBA was dead on arrival in the House after President Obama announced his formal opposition to the legislation. Today's vote proves that Washington is not serious about solving our Nation's spending problem. Forty-nine out of fifty states have set an example for Washington by passing BBA's of their own. As Hoosier families continue to struggle to live within their means, the President and House Democrats clearly believe those same rules shouldn't apply to Big Government. Washington continues to borrow 40 cents of every dollar it spends, robbing Peter to pay Paul in a vain attempt to perpetuate the existence of the federal government's bloated bureaucracies. The system is broken and they simply refused to see the reason in this common sense measure. The President and his socialist cronies instead have chosen to reduce this debate to election year scare tactics by falsely claiming to seniors that the BBA will kill Social Security and Medicare all the while continuing to stoke the coals of their burgeoning class war, rather than work with their colleagues across the aisle to stave off out of control spending and get American's back to work. In defeating the balanced budget amendment they have made their priorities clear.

"In contrast, My Republican colleagues and I will continue to fight to pass meaningful legislation that will not add to the debt, that will not raise taxes in President Obama's recession and slashes government spending. We will continue to pass jobs bills, like the 20 bi-partisan bills that have already passed the House, so that Americans can get back to work and our Nation can live within its means."

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