GOP Puts Budget Amendment on Hold
The Hill reports:
A sweeping proposal to add a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution has been delayed in the Senate after GOP leaders decided it should have unanimous Republican support before it moves forward.
The decision has some conservative lawmakers grumbling and asking questions about whether Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is seriously willing to consider the proposal, or is looking to squash it.
It forced backers of the amendment to cancel a planned Thursday press conference to unveil their proposal. The press conference was announced on Wednesday.
One source noted that McConnell has yet to sign on to the amendment himself, driving concern that he may simply be seeking to table the measure.
"If McConnell was really serious about this, he would jump on the bill and cosponsor it himself," the source said.
Other Republicans said there was broad agreement at a Wednesday meeting between leaders and supporters of the amendment that there should be a unified GOP front before it is introduced.McConnell's office declined to comment, but a person who attended the meeting said there was unanimous agreement on the need for a balanced budget amendment and there was equal interest in getting every Republican to sign on before pushing it forward.
The amendment would require Congress to balance the budget every year, and would make it more difficult to increase taxes. It would also cap spending at 18 percent of gross domestic product.
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