Remembering 2011 Milestones
June 29th: Lee, GOP Senators Push for Balanced Budget Amendment
WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Republican Caucus began a coordinated effort to push for passage of the S. J. Res 10, the Hatch Lee Balanced Budget Amendment. Senator Mike Lee, a lead cosponsor of the bill, has consistently championed the need for binding, structural spending reforms like a constitutional amendment, even before joining the Senate. The bill would force Congress to balance its budget each year, limit spending to no more than 18% of GDP, and require a supermajority vote in both the House and Senate before raising taxes or increasing the nation’s debt ceiling.
“To truly fix the spending problem in Washington, we have to fundamentally change the rules that govern Congress,” said Lee. “If we want to eliminate deficits, reduce the national debt, get control of spending, preserve our constitutional priorities, and save our economy, it starts with the balanced budget amendment. It is the only solution that guarantees future reforms will be enforced.”
A number of GOP Senators, including Lee, spoke in support of the amendment this morning on the Senate floor. They will also hold a press conference at 11:30 am near the Ohio Clock outside the Senate Chamber. Floor speeches on the balanced budget amendment will continue tomorrow, with Members planning to carry the message into the July 4th recess.
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
This is disturbing RT @johncornyn: POTUS to end-run Senate confirmation by recess appointment of another unaccountable czar
SenLeeComs
Perhaps Obama will decide to dispense w/ this year’s election too and simply appoint himself President for 4 more years #Cordray #CFPB
SenLeePressSec
Our friends at Utah Public Radio in Logan just suggested we add pineapple to our Jell-O on Wednesdays. What do you think?
SenLeeResearch
After holiday break, #Europe‘s debt crisis resumes downward spiral: http://bloom.bg/wTJv3I #USfuture? #euro #eu #debt #deficit #tcot #tlot
Around the Water Cooler
Obama, Congress begin year in oil pipeline dispute
President Barack Obama and Congress are starting the election year locked in a tussle over a proposed 1,700-mile oil pipeline from Canada to Texas that will force the White House to make a politically risky choice between two key Democratic constituencies.
Some unions say the Keystone XL pipeline would create thousands of jobs. Environmentalists fear it could lead to an oil spill disaster.
Obama gets two ‘awards’ for worst product failures of 2011
President Barack Obama can claim partial credit for two of this year’s greatest product failures described in a top-seven disaster list prepared by Yahoo! Finance.
The top two product disasters were a push-up bra for pre-teens and Netflix’s short-lived Qwikster video-rental spin-off.
But two autos pushed by Obama’s government-directed auto companies won slots No. 3 and No. 6 on Yahoo!‘s ”Worst Product Flops of 2011.”