Vernon Ehlers: “12 years ago this month I was elected to the State legislature in Michigan and entered politics full time for the first…”

“12 years ago this month I was elected to the State legislature in Michigan and entered politics full time for the first time in my life. At that time I opposed the Federal balanced budget amendment. Today I will be voting for the balanced budget amendment. Why did I have that change of heart? It is because of my experience at the State level, working with a balanced budget amendment and a line-item veto, and seeing that it works. Furthermore, it came from observing that over the past half century Congress has not demonstrated that it has the collective self-discipline to balance the budget. It needs some outside impetus to require it. I have seen it work at the State level. The fact that it exists forces the State legislatures to balance their budgets. If we have a Federal balanced budget amendment, that will force our Congress to balance the budget that they submit to the President each year. Mr. Speaker, let us not forget our children and grandchildren and our obligation to them. Let us join in supporting the balanced budget amendment.”