GOP’s Job-Killing Balanced Budget Amendment Fails In House

The latest Republican budget gimmick — a radical Balanced Budget Amendment that would actually kill 15 million jobs — failed to garner the necessary two-thirds majority it needed to pass the House today, failing 261-165. Four Republicans — Reps. Paul Ryan (WI), Justin Amash (PA), Louie Gohmert (TX), and David Dreier (CA) — voted against the amendment; 25 Democrats, most presumably from the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, voted in favor.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/16/370172/blue-dog-democrats-endorse-balanced-budget-amendment-that-would-double-unemployment-gut-social-safety-net/

The amendment needed 290 votes to pass. The amendment actually gained less votes than it did in 1995, when 300 House members voted in its favor.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/18/372481/gops-job-killing-balanced-budget-amendment-fails-in-house/

House rejects balanced budget amendment
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/18/politics/balanced-budget-amendment/index.html
(snip)
Shortly before the vote, Rep. John Fleming, R-Louisiana, called Congress "hopelessly addicted to excessive spending and budget deficits" and said opponents of the amendment "are hopelessly in denial, just like a drug addict is in denial about their addiction."

Fleming's comments prompted a retort from Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Illinois, who said, "I am addicted to saving lives. I am addicted to making sure that Social Security is not violently cut by the balanced budget amendment."

Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, also blasted the proposal on the House floor, accusing Republicans of engaging in political posturing by pushing measures like the balanced budget amendment while failing to support spending plans that would actually bring the government's finances under control.

Now even the House has to admit they cannot balance a budget.