Martin Meehan: “Mr. Chairman, the balanced budget amendment is a bad idea whose time has come. I am a little uncomfortable because some…”

“Mr. Chairman, the balanced budget amendment is a bad idea whose time has come. I am a little uncomfortable because some of my friends on the other side of the aisle who are supporting a balanced budget amendment, and would not vote for any new taxes, think we ought to add more money to defense spending, do not think we should touch entitlements, but they are for a balanced budget amendment. The truth of the matter is that there is no way all of those things can be done. I think the American people recognize that. They want the Congress of the United States to make difficult decisions about spending and about taxes. It is morally reprehensible for us to continue as a Nation to spend ourselves into bankruptcy, and I am not one of those who says that we can balance the budget without cutting entitlements, we can balance the budget without any new taxes, still increase defense spending. We are spending $215 billion a year in interest. It is time to force the issue and pass the so-called Stenholm amendment.”