Steny Hoyer: “This is a sad day in the House of Representatives. Amending the Constitution of the United States is a very serious…”

“This is a sad day in the House of Representatives. Amending the Constitution of the United States is a very serious matter. I have voted to amend the Constitution of the United States on a number of occasions. I believe we ought to have a requirement that we will be constrained by our revenues in our expenditures. I believe that deficits eat at our economy and place at risk the next generation. But tonight, in my opinion, is the theater of the irresponsible. I do not see senior Members who have given thoughtful consideration to this speaking very much on this floor on behalf of this amendment. I do not see the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary on the floor as a proponent of this amendment. I did see a distinguished senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Johnson], say that she believed in democracy, she believed in our Constitution, and unlike many documents, it gave to the people the right to choose. Perhaps the people sometimes make mistakes, as each of us do, but it gave them that right. It did so for the most part by majority vote. This House, under this leadership, does not trust the people, no matter what it may see, and let me give the examples.”