Washington, D.C. –Congressman Rick Berg today released the following statement in response to the President Barack Obama’s announced opposition to a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“President Obama’s opposition to a balanced budget amendment demonstrates yet another failure to lead our nation through our economic challenges.  In order to change Washington and get our country back on track, we need to quit the business-as-usual attitude and fix Washington’s broken system.  Requiring Washington to spend no more than it takes in is a common sense solution that we have seen work in North Dakota.”  Berg stated, “The course President Obama is taking our country on is simply unsustainable. If Washington continues to fail to live within its means and allows President Obama’s spending spree to continue, our children and grandchildren will be handed a nation further burdened with debt.  This is unacceptable.”

Last night, the Obama White House announced its opposition to House efforts to pass a balanced budget amendment as a way to ensure that Washington spends no more than it takes in.  The House is scheduled to vote on a balanced budget amendment this week.

Fifteen years ago, a balanced budget amendment failed by a single vote in the Senate.  Since then, the national debt has tripled from $4.9 trillion to nearly $15 trillion.  Additionally, the national debt has increased by more than $3.7 trillion in the time passed since President Obama took office. It took the United States 216 years, from 1776 until 1992, to accumulate the same amount of debt that Obama has borrowed in 2.5 years.

Last week, Berg joined North Dakota state legislators at the North Dakota State Capitol in calling on Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment. Berg also recently wrote an op-ed calling on Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment.  Berg expressed the importance of ensuring that Washington does not spend more than it takes in, noting that 42 cents of every dollar spent by the U.S. government was borrowed. 

Berg has urged North Dakotans to visit his website, www.berg.house.gov/BBA, to learn more about a balanced budget amendment.

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