Denham: Government Should Balance Budget

Washington, DC — Should the federal government be forced to balance its books every year?

The United States currently has a $15 trillion deficit.

A proposed balanced budget Constitutional amendment failed to gain the needed votes in the U.S. House this morning. District 19 Congressman Jeff Denham, who represents Tuolumne County, spoke in favor of the amendment on the House floor.

Denham stated, “The same way every American family has to balance their budget every week, every month, every year. The same way that I, as a small business owner, have to pay my bills every week, every month, every year. We owe this country the opportunity to not only see a balanced budget, but a bipartisan effort here in Congress.”

A majority of House members voted in favor, but it failed reach the needed two-thirds majority to pass a Constitutional amendment.

Democrats in opposition warned that an amendment would result in major cuts to Medicare and other social safety-net programs.