WASHINGTON – Arkansas Sens. Mark Pryor and John Boozman split Wednesday on amending the U.S. Constitution to require Congress to pass a balanced budget.
Pryor, a Democrat, voted against a balanced budget amendment that Boozman, a Republican, had co-sponsored. Pryor also opposed an alternative offered by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.
“While a balanced budget amendment makes for an easy talking point, it is an empty solution,” Pryor said in a statement after the votes. “Moreover, it’s a reckless choice that handcuffs our ability to respond to an economic downturn or national emergencies without massive tax increases or throwing everyone off Medicare, Social Security, or veteran’s care.”
Boozman disagreed saying his proposal was “a common sense solution to our long-term problems.”
“We are running record deficits and are at risk of losing our triple-A credit rating. It is clear this irresponsible spending must end,” he said. “This is the first step to putting us on the path of fiscal responsibility and reining in spending while giving American people a voice in their economy.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Senate on Wednesday voted down two separate measures aimed at amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget. A Republican proposal was defeated 47-53 with no Democrat in support. An alternative offered by Democrats fell, 21-79 with only one Republican in support.
The Republican plan would require a two-thirds majority of both chambers to raise taxes, three-fifths to raise the national debt, and stated that spending for any budget year could not exceed 18 percent of gross domestic product.
Sen. Mark Udall, D-Col., offered the alternative that included no caps on spending, did not require a supermajority to raise taxes, and shielded Social Security from being tapped to balance the rest of the budget. It also would have barred tax cuts to millionaires unless there was a budget surplus.
Boozman voted against the Udall plan saying it would allow Congress to easily circumvent any constitutional restrictions and avoid spending discipline.
“This is not the meaningful reform the American people need or want,” Boozman said.
In opposing both measures, Pryor said there is a “more responsible” way to balance the budget.
“President Clinton led the way in turning deficits into record surpluses. We have that same opportunity today, using the blueprint provided by the debt commission as a starting point. We need to responsibly cut spending, reform our tax code and create job growth,” Pryor said. “This course requires hard choices over a number of years. However, it offers a more balanced approach over jeopardizing safety net programs and opportunity for robust economic growth.”
The Senate scheduled the votes to fulfill a commitment made last summer over raising the government’s debt limit. The House held its vote last month, falling 23 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed.