Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement today after a measure expressing the Senate’s support for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution was voted down. The measure failed on a 58-40 vote.

“Today’s vote was yet another chance to show we are serious about addressing the skyrocketing debt this country faces. Without a constitutional requirement to balance the budget, politicians will never make the tough choices needed to seriously address our budget problems. Small cuts in spending will be made here and there, but they will not be enough to retire a $14 trillion debt. Minor tweaks are nothing more than trimming the bushes when the house is on fire.”

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