Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Scott Perry’s (PA-04) first bill of the 114th Congress seeks to adopt a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution and confront the debt crisis that threatens the economic security of every American. 

Forty-nine states currently are required annually to balance their budgets. To secure passage of a constitutional amendment, a bill must pass the U.S. House and U.S. Senate by a two-thirds vote. Then, three-fourths of all state Legislatures must ratify the amendment.

“Hard-working families and businesses throughout the 4th Congressional District know what it’s like to live on a budget,” said Rep. Perry. “They have to make tough decisions to live within their means every day and Washington should have to do the same. We have to stop spending money we don’t have.”

The federal government has run up an unsustainable debt of more than $18 trillion. Interest payments alone on this debt are expected to hit $227 billion this year, more than double to $480 billion by 2019 and more than triple to $722 billion by 2024. If we keep ignoring our debt crisis out of political expediency, Social Security, Medicare and other vital programs will simply go bankrupt.

Rep. Perry will ensure that these reforms are not accomplished on the backs of taxpayers by requiring a three-fifths vote in the House and Senate to raise tax revenue.  Rep. Perry’s legislation contains a provision that eventually would bring federal spending down to its lowest level in about 60 years. This legislation also places additional pressure on agencies to justify their funding and find waste in their departments.

President Obama’s recently released FY2016 budget calls for increasing federal government spending by 65 percent over the next decade – and never balances. President Obama has yet to offer a balanced budget during his terms in office. The FY 2015 budget passed by the U.S. House last spring did balance over the next decade and the upcoming FY2016 House budget is expected to do the same.         

“President Obama and others have recently celebrated that our annual deficit will ‘only’ be $468 billion this year. How is that good news?” Perry said. “Leadership calls for making tough decisions. Before President Obama and his allies criticize our plan to balance the budget, they need to get out of the cheap seats and offer their own.”