Political Quotes

“the need for a balanced budget amendment is very great. You know how the national debt now is reaching a point where, if we don't intervene with a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget, it is going to become unsustainable. Statutes have not controlled deficit spending. I was an author of one of those statutes--former Senator Harry F. Byrd of Virginia and I as a Member of the House--back in 1979. For 15 years that law was on the books, and never in those 15 years was there a balanced budget amendment. It makes it very clear that laws will not control deficit spending. I concluded a long time ago, as I voted on previous constitutional amendments requiring a balanced budget that didn't pass, that a constitutional amendment is a must to provide Congress with the necessary discipline. The example right now in Europe of their fiscal and deficit situation is sobering. Nations that allow debt to grow out of control risk default. One of those countries is practically in default. If we don't take effective corrective action, the European future could be ours and sooner than we think. Each generation of Americans has enjoyed a brighter future than the previous generation. The failure of Congress to tame the deficit and the debt threatens the American dream for our children and grandchildren. The Constitution was designed to secure the blessings of liberty not only for ourselves but also for our children.…”