Congress Should Do Its Job

From the St. Petersburg Times, July 22, 2011

In his letter, William Carroll of Gulfport, Florida espouses the idea that Congress need not create a Balanced Budget amendment to the Constitution but merely needs to pass a balanced budget. He states, "If Congress wants a balanced budget, it does not need an amendment to the Constitution; it simply needs to pass one.".

While we understand the sentiment, this is a little off the mark. While it is true that according to Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution that Congress has the power of the purse, nothing states that that spending must be balanced. In fact, Congress is expressly granted the ability to borrow money on the credit of the United States. For example, if a balanced budget amendment existed, they regardless of how it voted, Congress could never spend more than it collected (or forecast to collect as many states have implemented such a clause). Additionally, the US would be severly limited to provide for the common defense if in times of emergency, it could not solicit money similar to the way war bonds were sold during World War II.

While it is easy to look to the States as a model for balanced budget requirements in law, this forgets that if push came to shove, the States can go to the US Government for an appropriation that would be outside the budget--such as is the case when a Federal disaster area is declared after a major storm. The US government would have no sch option for itself besides the states. Does that mean that the States would have to pay themselves?

The US has to be able to borrow money for both short-term and long-term needs. By adjusting sources of revenue, it could certainly reduce the amount it needed to borrow. As it could by reducing discretionary spending.