Harvey Peeler

S.C. Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler today expressed his full support for the passage of a federal balanced budget amendment, and gave his encouragement to the sponsors of a bill that would send an amendment for approval to the states. U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee are leading an effort by congressional Republicans to implement a permanent law requiring the federal government to pass a balanced budget. In a letter to the senators, Peeler said he would work tirelessly for ratification of the amendment if it was sent to the states.

“It is vital that Congress pass a balanced budget amendment. Quite simply a balanced budget amendment is the only mechanism that will ensure that Congress gets federal spending under control,” Peeler wrote. “Without it, America will spend itself into insolvency and will mortgage our children’s future. To prevent the grave harm that will come to our nation from a debt crisis and to ensure that Congress spends no more than it takes in, Congress and the state legislatures must act to amend the United States Constitution to require a balanced federal budget.”

If passed, the amendment would require Congress balance every budget, cap spending at 18 percent of Gross Domestic Product and require a two-thirds majority vote to raise taxes or raise the debt ceiling. The bill has the support of every Republican in the U.S. Senate, and benefited from the hard work of South Carolina’s U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint.

The amendment passing both houses of Congress by a two-thirds vote is only the first part of the process. At least 38 state legislatures have to ratify the amendment, which means that support at the state level is key to its adoption.