Cravaack Statement on Balanced Budget Amendment

Press Release

U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack (MN-8) issued the following statement after a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution failed to pass the House with two-thirds of the vote:

"American families and businesses are making hard choices every day to balance their budgets and make ends meet -- so must the federal government. The United States is suffocating under a staggering accumulated debt that just surpassed 15 trillion dollars, and I refuse to place this ever-increasing burden on the backs of future generations. If we continue on a course of fiscal irresponsibility, it will be our children and grandchildren that will suffer the consequences of our excesses. I'm disappointed that more of my Democrat colleagues could not support this critical step towards long-term fiscal sustainability and national security."

The Budget Control Act, enacted this past summer, still requires the Senate to vote on a balanced budget amendment before the end of 2011.

Rep. Cravaack serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee -- where he is Vice Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee -- the Homeland Security Committee, and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. The 8th Congressional District covers 18 counties in Northeast Minnesota.

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