House Votes Down Balanced Budget Amendment

Civil
and human rights advocates today applauded members of Congress for rejecting a
misguided effort to amend the U.S. Constitution with a balanced budget
amendment.

Democrats
were joined by four Republican House members in voting against the
amendment, which failed to get the two-thirds majority required for passage.

“Today’s
House rejection of the Balanced Budget Amendment is a welcome moment of
congressional sanity during this session,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice
president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in statement
following the vote. “Amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget
would have disastrous effects on both the federal government and our nation’s
economy. Instead of helping members of Congress create jobs, preserve Medicare,
Medicaid, and Social Security, it would have tied their hands and forced them
to make indiscriminate cuts that would destroy jobs and devastate vulnerable
seniors and low-income communities.”

In
the run up to the vote, The Leadership Conference helped organize 275
national organizations to oppose any balanced budget amendment as a threat
to the economic security of millions of Americans.

“We
sincerely hope that Congress will get back to focusing on the most important
issue facing our nation by making progress on vital jobs bills that can make a
real difference for all Americans struggling in this economy,” added Zirkin