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Congressman Lou Barletta sent me this email yesterday
Dear Gort --
This week, Congress will vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. A Balanced Budget Amendment would put an end to Washington’s out of control spending.
In fact, it’s a measure 74% of Americans agree with, yet Washington Democrats are labeling those of us who support a balanced budget as “extremists!”Extremists?!?
Hardly. 49 of the 50 states have balanced budget requirements.
Decades of reckless spending brought us to the mess we’re currently in. You sent me to Washington to fix it. A Balanced Budget Amendment will do just that.
The solution to this problem isn’t complicated. If you’re spending more money than you’re taking in, you need to spend less of it. Unfortunately, Washington’s career politicians just can’t seem to control themselves so a Constitutional amendment is a necessary step.
President Obama has already made it known that he will veto the Balanced Budget Amendment if it passes in Congress.
--Lou
Article V of the US Constitution says that an amendment must be passed by two thirds of the House and Senate then ratified by three fourths of the State Legislatures.
The President can not veto a Constitutional Amendment!
In addition to learning what is in the constitution he needs to learn something about history and economics. A law is not needed to balance the budget because there was a surplus as recently as 2000 under our last Democratic President until the Republicans decided tax cuts were more important than balancing the books. If such a requirement existed in the 1940's the United States would not have been able to fight WWII or before that deal with the great depression.
How do you even define a balanced budget? It's a very technical question. Who would decide if the budget is actually in balance if there is a dispute, the Supreme Court? It would take years to get a ruling. Will there be exceptions for war or recessions? Yes, the states have a requirement to have a balanced budget but they issue bonds for projects such as building roads and bridges that can't be paid for out of current taxes. If this actually passes would it eliminate T-Bills and Savings Bonds?
The Constitution is about rights and processes not specific policies. Prohibition was a policy that was added to the constitution that had disastrous results and was later repealed. A budget is a policy document that should be decided in the political arena of Congress and elections.
17 hours ago
6 comments:
Gort, OUSTANDING response to Barletta. I assume the readers can read between the lines and this is a back door to cutting Social Security and Medicare. On of the first vote Barletta yes to was when he voted on a Bill that would have killed Medicare if it had gone all the way. Now he has a TV ad telling us how he wants to protect Medicarre. What he doesn't tell us is that they want to cut it to the point that it has a surplus but offers no or very little health benefits to seniors. This guy is a shallow as a mud puddle. The happiest vote of my life will be against Lou Barletta.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/congress-tees-up-crucial-votes-on-debt-limit/2011/07/17/gIQA40IZKI_story.html
White House threatens veto of debt measure tied to balanced budget amendment
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-debt-limit-debate-shifts-to-capitol-hill-2011-07-18
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — President Barack Obama would veto a House Republican bill that requires Congress to add a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution before raising the country’s debt limit, the White House said Monday, as action in the debt-ceiling debate moved to Capitol Hill.
Then maybe someone should explain that to the President as well.
Hey Gort! Why isn't anyone asking Tom Marino what he knew and when he knew it regarding Sandusky/Penn State? He was the #1 federal law enforcement agent in the area while Sandusky was transporting kids across state lines to molest them. There were investigations in 98 & 02 - I think the US Attorney should have been asking questions - don't you?
On this topic, it is not the first time that Barletta has ignored the constitution when it gets in the way of his extreme policies.
Gort, Bareltta got his balanced budget ideas from being Mayor of Hazleton, where he left them with a $4.5 MILLION dollar deficit. Seems he didnt balance anything .........
Barletta isn't ignoring the Constitution. He is just reiterating what President Obama said. It is the Democrat President who is ignoring the Consitution.
So Barletta didn't know enough to point out that the president can NOT veto a Constitutional amendment? He nor his pr flack didn't have the common sense to realize that the president is wrong in his statement.
Well Louie there is an app for that https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hotrod.reference.spiritofseventysix&hl=en
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