bi-partisan opposition to the balanced budget amendment

8/3/2019 Bi-Partisan Opposition to the Balanced Budget Amendment

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NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSING THE

BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

Updated July 19, 2011

Dear Representative/Senator:

The undersigned national organizations strongly urge you to oppose any balanced budget

amendment to the United States Constitution.

A balanced budget constitutional amendment would damage the economy, not strengthen it.

Demanding that policymakers cut spending and/or raise taxes, even when the economy slows, is the

opposite of what is needed to stabilize a weak economy and avert recessions. Such steps would risk

tipping a faltering economy into recession or worsening an ongoing downturn, costing large numbers of

jobs while blocking worthy investments to stimulate jobs and growth and address the nations urgent

needs in infrastructure and other areas.

Furthermore, the version of the balanced budget amendment that the House Judiciary Committee

recently approved (H. J. Res. 1) would impose an arbitrary and severe cap on total federal spending,

which, remarkably, would require much deeper cuts than the draconian cuts in the Ryan budget

resolution. The bill also would require supermajority votes in the House and Senate to increase the debt

limit, waive the balanced budget requirement or to raise any taxes, including closing the most

egregious tax loopholes. This irresponsible requirement would create an extremely steep hurdle to raising

any revenues effectively blocking revenue measures even as part of packages to restore long-term

solvency to Social Security and Medicare while protecting the more than $1 trillion a year in tax

expenditures and forcing severe program cuts.

In short, this amendment is a recipe for making recessions more frequent, longer, and deeper,

while requiring severe cuts that would harshly affect seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities,

homeland security activities, public safety, environmental protection, education and medical research. It

would almost certainly necessitate massive cuts to vital programs including Social Security, Medicare,

Medicaid, veterans benefits and other programs, and, as noted, lead to even deeper cuts than the House-

passed budget.

A responsible deficit reduction plan must embrace both spending cuts and new revenues,

including curbing special-interest tax loopholes, not a one-sided reliance on spending cuts.

A balanced budget amendment has no place in the Constitution of the United States. OurConstitution has served the nation well because it represents enduring principles that are the foundations

of our government. It should not be used as a substitute for real leadership on fiscal policy.

We strongly urge you to oppose any constitutional balanced budget amendment.

Sincerely,


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9to5, National Association of Working WomenAFL-CIOAfrican American Health AllianceAIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & FamiliesAIDS Foundation of ChicagoAIDS Project Los Angeles

AIDS UnitedAlliance for a Just SocietyAlliance for Excellent EducationAlliance for Retired AmericansAlliance to End HungerAmerican Association of Classified School Employees (AACSE)American Association of Colleges for Teacher EducationAmerican Association of Community CollegesAmerican Association of School Administrators (AASA)American Association of University Women (AAUW)American Counseling AssociationAmerican Dance Therapy Association

American Educational Research AssociationAmerican Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIOAmerican Federation of School Administrators, AFL-CIOAmerican Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIOAmerican Humane AssociationAmerican Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA)American Network of Community Options and ResourcesAmerican Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIOAmerican Public Health AssociationAmerican School Counselor AssociationAmericans for Democratic Action

The Arc of the United StatesAsian & Pacific Islander American Health ForumAssociation for Career and Technical EducationAssociation of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP)Association of Education Service Agencies (AESA)Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)Autism National CommitteeBazelon Center for Mental Health LawBread for the WorldBuilding and Construction Trades Dept., AFL-CIOB'nai B'rith InternationalCAEAR Coalition

Campaign for Americas FutureCampaign for College AffordabilityCampaign for Community ChangeCANN - Community Access National NetworkThe Cave InstituteCenter for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)Center for Medicare AdvocacyCenter on Budget and Policy PrioritiesChild Welfare League of America (CWLA)Childrens Defense Fund


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Children's Dental Health ProjectCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Tax JusticeClinical Social Work AssociationCoalition of Labor Union WomenCoalition on Human Needs

Committee for Education FundingCommon CauseCommunications Workers of America (CWA)Community Action PartnershipCommunity Food Security CoalitionCommunity Organizations in ActionConsortium for School Networking (CoSN)Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)Council for Exceptional ChildrenCouncil for Opportunity in EducationCouncil of the Great City SchoolsDab the AIDS Bear Project

Defenders of WildlifeDemocracy 21Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIODirect Care AllianceDisability Rights Education and Defense FundEaster SealsEvery Child Matters Education FundFamilies USAFederally Employed Women (FEW)Feminist MajorityFirst Focus Campaign for ChildrenFood & Water Watch

Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)Friends Committee on National LegislationFriends of the EarthGay Mens Health CrisisGenerations UnitedGray PanthersGrowth & JusticeHalf in TenHealth & Disability AdvocatesHealth Care for America NowHealth GAP (Global Access Project)HIV Law Project

Horizons for Homeless ChildrenHousing WorksInterfaith Worker JusticeInternational Association of Fire FightersInternational Association of Machinists and Aerospace WorkersInternational Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIOInternational Brotherhood of TeamstersInternational Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE)International Reading Association


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International Society for Technology in EducationInternational Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIOInternational Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America(UAW)Knowledge AllianceLaborers International Union of North America, (LiUNA!)

Latino Commission on AIDSThe Leadership Conference on Civil and Human RightsLeague of Conservation VotersLeague of Women Voters of the U.S.Learning Disabilities Association of AmericaMain Street AllianceMedicare Rights CenterMennonite Central Committee U.S., Washington OfficeMental Health AmericaMethodist Federation for Social ActionNAACPNational Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE)National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good ShepherdNational AIDS Housing CoalitionNational Alliance for Partnerships in EquityNational Alliance of HUD TenantsThe National Alliance to Advance Adolescent HealthNational Asian Pacific American Women's ForumNational Assembly on School-Based Health CareNational Association for Childrens Behavioral HealthNational Association for College Admission CounselingNational Association for Music EducationNational Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP)

National Association for the Education of Young ChildrenNational Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)National Association of Councils on Developmental DisabilitiesNational Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD)National Association of Federally Impacted SchoolsNational Association of Government Employees/SEIUNational Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)National Association of Letter CarriersNational Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP)National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA)National Association of Postal SupervisorsNational Association of Secondary School Principals

National Association of State Head Injury AdministratorsNational Black Child Development InstituteNational Center for Law and Economic JusticeNational Coalition for LGBT HealthNational Coalition for Mental Health RecoveryNational Coalition of STD DirectorsNational Committee to Preserve Social Security and MedicareNational Congress of American IndiansNational Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB)National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care


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National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP)National Council for Community Behavioral HealthcareNational Council of Jewish WomenNational Council of La Raza (NCLR)National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO)National Council on Independent Living

National Disability Rights NetworkNational Education Association (NEA)National Employment Law Project (NELP)National Family Caregivers AssociationNational Family Farm CoalitionNational Federation of Federal EmployeesNational Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action FundNational Health Care for the Homeless CouncilNational Health Law ProgramNational Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)National Housing TrustNational Immigration Law Center

National Indian Head Start Directors AssociationNational Latina Institute for Reproductive HealthNational Law Center on Homelessness & PovertyNational Low Income Housing CoalitionNational Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)National Organization for Women (NOW)National Partnership for Women & FamiliesNational Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU)National Priorities ProjectNational Respite CoalitionNational Rural Education Advocacy Coalition (NREAC)National Rural Education Association (NREA)

National School Boards AssociationNational Senior Citizens Law CenterNational Senior Corps Association (NSCA)National Title I AssociationNational Treasury Employee UnionNational Urban LeagueNational WIC AssociationNational Women's Conference CommitteeNational Womens Law CenterNational Women's Health NetworkNatural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Not Dead YetOMB WatchOur Bodies OurselvesOWL-The Voice of Midlife and Older WomenParalyzed Veterans of AmericaPeople For the American Way (PFAW)Pension Rights CenterPHI Quality Care through Quality JobsPopulation Action InternationalProgressive States Action


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Promise the ChildrenPublic CitizenRacial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition (REHDC)RESULTSSchool Social Work Association of AmericaService Employees International Union (SEIU)

Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice TeamSojournersSoutheast Asia Resource Action CenterStewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF)Sudden Cardiac Arrest AssociationSugar Law Center for Economic and Social JusticeTASHTeaching Strategies, Inc.Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIOTreatment Access Expansion ProjectTrust for Americas Health (TFAH)

Union for Reform JudaismUnited Cerebral PalsyUnited Church of Christ Justice and Witness MinistriesUnited Food and Commercial Workers, InternationalUnited for a Fair EconomyThe United Methodist Church General Board of Church and SocietyUnited Mine WorkersUnited Spinal AssociationUnited Steelworkers (USW)USActionU.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW)US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA)

VillageCareVoices for Americas ChildrenVoices for ProgressWider Opportunities for Women (WOW)The Wilderness SocietyWomen of Color Policy Network, NYU WagnerWomen of Reform JudaismWomen Together for Change (WTFC)Womens Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER)Women's Institute for Freedom of the PressWorld Knowledge BankYouthBuild USA

YWCA USAZERO TO THREE

bi-partisan opposition to the balanced budget amendment

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