Rep. Andrews on Balanced Budget Amendment

“I won’t support it. I think rather than introducing a balanced budget amendment we should try to balance the budget. And the way you do that is you reduce spending which is under discussion at the White House right now and you raise revenues in a fair and equitable way, which were willing to talk about. I think the balanced budget amendment in the past has been a little more rational. I voted for an earlier version of it that said any year there’s not a balanced budget we’d a 2/3 vote to override that. But by enshrining in the constitution a particular number for percentage of spending I think is a ludicrous idea. And more than that we shouldn’t be talking about a process to balance the budget some day in the future we should get busy right now making decisions that will balance the budget some day in the future. I hope it doesn’t get through. I think it’s a bad idea. I really think what it is designed to be political cover for republicans who will eventually do the right thing and vote for the debt ceiling extension. I think it’s really a fig leaf more than a serious proposal.”