Southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison introduced a bill for a balanced budget amendment

Recently, Southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison introduced a bill for a balanced budget amendment to the U-S Constitution.

Burlison told Newstalk KZRG:

“This is really to the core of where I’m at.  This is why I ran for office. Whenever I was a state lawmaker in the House and the Senate, I was the guy who sponsored what’s called the Convention of States, and it was the states trying to rein in the federal government when it came to spending.”

Burlison went on to say:  “And I just always felt very strongly and passionately that something needs to be done because our Constitution was fantastic until some changes were made and related to the switch of power back or to the federal government and away from the states. Specifically, I would say, was the 16th Amendment, which allowed the federal government to collect all of its own revenue through income taxes.”

Burlison told Newstalk KZRG the bill would….

“It kind of addresses the fiscal debt crisis that we’re facing, and it returns power back to the states.  You know how every couple of years we raise the debt ceiling, Congress raises the debt ceiling?  Well, this would say that cannot happen unless the states approve it.”

Burlison continued:  “So the states have to have a vote. And in some states, like Missouri, any kind of vote like that would have to go to a ballot initiative. And so basically the voters would have a say as to whether or not their federal government is going to raise its debt ceiling.” 

While the chances of the bill getting enough support to pass congress right now are low, Burlison said it is time to start the discussion.