Republicans Aim for Budget Amendment

House Majority Leader John Boehner is urging his members to spend their August vacations convincing their constituents to support a balanced budget amendment that would prevent the government from spending more than it takes in. Around 10 bills have been filed already in the House. One requires a three-fifths majority in each chamber for spending to exceed income. Another requires a two-thirds majority to raise taxes and a spending cap of 18 percent of GDP. Such amendments are unlikely to pass, as they require the approval of two-thirds of each chamber and three-quarters of state legislatures.