Wayne Allard: “last week I talked about the balanced budget movement from a historical perspective. I discussed the fact that when our…”

“last week I talked about the balanced budget movement from a historical perspective. I discussed the fact that when our country started out as a new nation, policymakers felt a moral and ethical obligation to balance the budget year after year after year, and they did that. However, as time evolved, a process was developed under which programs were funded based on demand. This process produced what are called entitlement programs. It created a blank check. As a result of these entitlements and the corresponding lack of accountability, there is no longer the same concern to balance the budget that existed during the time of the Founders. I wanted to talk a little bit this afternoon from the perspective of a family man who has grown up in America, from the perspective of a small businessman who has had to start his business from scratch. Those obligations that I faced as a family man and those obligations that I faced as a businessman are pretty much the same obligations that we are facing as a Congress, as the leaders of this country, this great country called America. Thus far, we have had two amendments presented before this body which, in effect, provide for exceptions to a balanced budget amendment. One is the Durbin amendment, and the most recent one is the welfare amendment. These amendments are unnecessary. We already have a provision to meet emergencies in the balanced budget amendment proposal that is before us.”