Orrin Hatch: “Madam President, the Senate is once again considering a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, Senate Joint…”

“Madam President, the Senate is once again considering a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, Senate Joint Resolution 41, the Simon-Hatch consensus balanced budget amendment. I wish an amendment to the Constitution were not necessary. But it is. Statutory measures have been tried; but, for one reason or another, they have not worked. If we had passed the balanced budget amendment before now, we would not be spending precious time debating the ends, but rather the means of balancing the budget. But we have not heretofore been able to agree on the end of a balanced Federal budget requirement. Sadly, I believe we must get this amendment in place to ensure there will be an end to the long spending binge of Congress.”