House plans vote on balanced budget amendment

House GOP leaders are planning a vote Thursday on a proposed amendment to the Constitution requiring a balanced budget.

By Andrew Taylor | July 26, 2011 at 08:04 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — House GOP leaders are planning a vote Thursday on a proposed amendment to the Constitution requiring a balanced budget.

The vote comes as Congress struggles to pass legislation increasing the government's borrowing cap to avoid a U.S. default.

Many tea party-backed lawmakers are insisting on passage of a balanced budget amendment before they consider voting for an increase in the debt limit.

Recommended For You

But the House effort appears unlikely to win the two-thirds margin required to pass.

The House passed a balanced budget amendment in 1995 but it fell just short in the Senate.

Republicans are backing a version of the amendment that's far stricter than the 1995 version. It would require a two-thirds vote by Congress to raise taxes and would force major cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

More debt talk coverage from BenefitsPro

NOT FOR REPRINT

1 Stop HSA Headaches: Helping Clients Choose the Right Provider

2 Armed man causes UnitedHealthcare buildings to lock down

3 Trump tells DOL to develop PBM transparency regulations to lower drug prices

4 Biden breaks silence to slam Trump over Social Security cuts

5 Employers' ACA coverage in limbo as Supreme Court weighs task force legality

Insurance
BenefitsPRO Broker Expo 2025
May 06, 2025 - Boston

The premier educational and networking event for employee benefits brokers and agents.
More Information
Workers' Compensation Risk Management Award for Excellence Nominations
May 05, 2025 - Nomination Deadline

The 2025 Workers Comp Risk Management Award for Excellence honors outstanding loss control, safety and return-to-work programs.
More Information
Consulting
Consulting Top Consultants 2025
June 26, 2025 - New York

Consulting Magazine identifies consultants that have the biggest impact on their clients, firms and the profession.
More Information

HHS-leaked document indicates HealthCare.gov will still exist in 2026

By Allison Bell | April 18, 2025

Affordable Care Act public exchange activities would have to rely on user fees and other program revenue.

HHS-leaked document indicates HealthCare.gov will still exist in 2026

Poor communication fuels health plan dissatisfaction

By Caitlin Moling | April 18, 2025

The growing chasm in customer experience begs the question: What are the top health plans doing well that the lowest-ranked plans cannot seem to get right?

Poor communication fuels health plan dissatisfaction

UnitedHealth CEO objects to critics' 'obsession' with PBMs' role in drug supply chain

By Allison Bell | April 18, 2025

Andrew Witty hopes a new executive order will lead to a review of all players in the sector.

UnitedHealth CEO objects to critics' 'obsession' with PBMs' role in drug supply chain

How One Employer Helped 1 in 3 Employees Improve Blood Pressure link

Case Study

Sponsored by Labcorp

Reducing Employee Onboarding Time and Solving Staffing Challenges

Long onboarding times and staffing shortages create costly delays. Discover how one large healthcare system streamlined its hiring process, reducing onboarding time from weeks to days while improving the candidate experience and freeing up internal staff.

Browse More Resources ›

White Paper

Sponsored by Trustmark Voluntary Benefits

Opt In or Opt Out: Solving the Problem of Low Employee Engagement in Passive Voluntary Benefit Enrollments

Voluntary benefit elections are not what they used to be. The shift toward passive enrollments prevents employees from being actively engaged in the enrollment process, generating low participation rates and putting employers and insurers at risk. This guide explores a new approach to enrollment that combines facets of both traditional enrollment processes and the new self-service culture to increase engagement and boost participation.