Blue Dog Democrats join with House Republicans in the fight for a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution !!

Original Commentary by J Smithson

Great news. The 25 member caucus known as the Democrat Blue Dog Coalition has officially endorsed the House Republican’s balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. The decision stands in stark contrast to the wishes of the Democrat “leadership” and White House opinion.

It is startling to me, that anyone in Congress would oppose a balanced budget amendment.

Understand that congressional rules are more stringent when passing on an amendment to the Constitution than simply voting a bill into law. In the House, a simple majority moves legislation along. But in the case of a Constitutional amendment, the House needs a two-thirds vote to move the bill to the Senate; the difference between 218 votes for a simple majority and 290 votes for a 2/3 majority.

The Hill makes this observation: The decision to endorse the measure puts the Blue Dogs directly at odds with the Democratic leadership and with a longtime ally of the coalition, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.). Hoyer supported a similar amendment when it gained 300 House votes in 1995, but he is opposing it now because he said he cannot trust the Republican Party to make responsible fiscal decisions and waive the requirement in an emergency.

And there you have it; the Dems refuse that which they once supported because they are no longer in power. You see, the problem with the Dems is this: there are no legislative rules that they will not break if they deem there to be “an emergency.” Don’t forget, the 111^th Congress, 2009-2010, passed a “pay as you go” proposal and immediately began work on 7 trillion in expenditures for the two years 2009 and 2010. They were 42% over budget. The “pay as you go” was their big idea. Pelosi even called a press conference to proudly announce the passage of the bill. Following that press conference, the “pay as you go” bill has not be heard of since.

Anyway, this is certainly good news. Of course, Harry Reid will hide the bill in his desk, somewhere, should it pass the House. But, for certain, one of the biggest issues of the coming election will be the balanced budget amendment. Advantage: the GOP.