Balanced Budget Amendment Fails in House

0:00On March 18th, the House failed to pass a balanced budget amendment this Wednesday, voting 211 to 207 against it. The measure needed a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress, followed by ratification from three-fourths of the states. This proposal aimed to end deficits spending by limiting federal outlays to the average revenue from the previous three years, with adjustments for inflation and population growth. Lawmakers could only exceed the cap during national emergencies or wars, and even then, it required a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. Republicans pushed the vote suddenly, catching even the sponsor, Arizona representative Andy Biggs, off guard after years of his advocacy. He noted leaders reached out with our prior discussions or deals. The national debt now stands at about $39 trillion, piled up from long-term deficits, tax reductions, military conflicts, economic downturns, and growing interest payments. Efforts like this highlight ongoing tensions over federal spending, but for now, the push

1:04stalls without broader support.