Civil Rights Monitor
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The CIVIL RIGHTS MONITOR is a quarterly publication that reports on civil rights issues pending before the three branches of government. The Monitor also provides a historical context within which to assess current civil rights issues. Back issues of the Monitor are available through this site. Browse or search the archives Volume 8 no. 1 BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT FAILS IN THE SENATE As reported in the last MONITOR, civil rights and anti-poverty organizations joined forces to oppose the Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment which passed the House on January 26, 1995, with more than the two-thirds vote need ed for a constitutional amendment, would have required that by the year 2002 or two years after ratification, whichever is later, the Federal Government could not spend more in a year than it raises in revenue. On March 2, 1995, the Senate vote was one short of the two-thirds needed to pass the amendment, 66-34. If it had passed the Senate, the amendment would have been sent to the States (the President has no role in this process), of which three-fourths (38) must ratify for addition of an amendment to the Constitution. The final official tally was 65-35 because Majority Leader Robert Dole (R-KS) changed his vote to nay to allow him, pursuant to Senate rules, to call for a revote later in the 104th Congress. Senator Dole indicated he might do just that right before the 1996 elections. Thirty-three of the 34 nay votes were cast by Democrats with Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon the only Republican to vote nay. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) stated that had the Republicans been willing to provide "ironclad protection" ; that surplus social security funds would not be included in the deficit calculation, the amendment would have passed easily.
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