Congressman Bill Flores (R-Bryan) voted for the Debt Control Act that passed the U.S. House Friday afternoon on a 218-210 vote.
Flores says the vote on the debt control bill included a condition he and other conservative House members sought to also include votes on two versions of a balanced budget amendment.
One option calls for super majority votes to approve tax increases and exceed spending limits and the second option is close to what was nearly passed in 1995 with the Contract For America.
Either version needs to pass the House by a two-thirds margin. Flores hopes both options are approved but adds he doubts the House will pass either one.
Congressman Bill Flores comments on voting on proposed balanced budget amendments a condition of the debt reduction bill.
Flores issued the following news release following Friday’s House vote:
“According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Budget Control Act ensures that House Republicans fulfill our pledge to cut spending more than any debt ceiling increase, establishes enforceable spending controls that change the broken system now and in the long-term and has no job-crushing tax hikes on America’s families and job-creators. It requires that the House and Senate will vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that instills permanent accountability in Washington. The House Republican plan will change the trajectory of federal spending – achieving roughly 66 percent of the discretionary spending cuts already in the House-passed budget.
“The Budget Control Act also creates a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction that is required to produce a proposal to reduce the deficit by at least an additional $1.8 trillion over 10 years and protects programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security from bankruptcy. The committee will be comprised of six members of the House and six senators with Democrats and Republicans equally represented from each chamber. If Congress successfully passes the committee’s proposal by an up-or-down, simple-majority vote without any amendments, then the president would be authorized to request an additional debt limit increase of $1.6 trillion — holding President Obama accountable.
“In just seven months, House Republicans are already changing Washington’s spending culture. We passed the Path to Prosperity budget. We passed the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. The Budget Control Act may not be the perfect plan, but it is the only responsible proposal to address the country’s debt crisis and uphold the principles of Cut, Cap and Balance – which the Senate blocked and the president threatened to veto last week. House Republicans have continued to offer realistic, common-sense solutions that meet our obligations to the American people, preserve the full faith and credit of the United States and begin to rebuild a strong, healthy economy. Yet, Senate Democrats and the Obama administration have not been serious about cutting spending and spurring economic growth to help create new jobs. The American people have had enough. Enough reckless Washington spending. Enough piling on debt. Enough empty promises. It is time we stop the president’s blank-check spending and take the necessary steps to force Washington to act responsibly and live with its means. If we fail to do so immediately, we will be yielding to the Obama administration and Democrats who keep pushing their agenda for devastating tax hikes.
“The simple truth is, we must pay our bills, avoid a default on the national debt and make fundamental changes to our federal government so that we can save the American Dream for our children and grandchildren. I strongly urge the Senate to pass this responsible, common-sense solution to cut spending and bring an end to this debt limit crisis.”
At the request of Congressman Flores and several other conservative Members of Congress, the Republican leadership of the House has agreed to hold votes on two Balanced Budget Amendments this week in condition with the vote on the Budget Control Act. The passage of either of these amendments, if passed by the Senate and ratified by the states, would restore accountability and serve as the ultimate solution to fix our Nation’s fiscal problems.