Republican congressional leadership’s support for a reconciliation bill called the “One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)” illustrates just how broken our federal government is.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the OBBB would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years, which is already nearly $37 trillion.
When Rep. Brian Babin was asked about it on Newsmax TV’s “National Report” last Thursday, the Texas Republican acknowledged that the OBBB “was far from perfect,” but added that “it’s the best we can do.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
In truth they can do better — if we force them, and occasionally a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution is introduced in Congress. The last time this happened was in 2021, but just like previous attempts, it went nowhere.
When Congress fails to deliver the goods on its own, it’s going to take the people to do it — Congress’ boss. And Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has been promoting the exact means to do it.
As a three-term congressman before moving into the Sunshine State governor’s mansion, he’d seen it all before. So he’s been pushing for a state-initiated balanced budget amendment to bypass Congress.
Each of the current 27 constitutional amendments originated in Congress, by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. But the Constitution provides an alternative method — by the states.
It takes two-thirds of the state legislatures to propose an amendment to the Constitution in what’s called a convention of states, and, as DeSantis recently observed, we’re well on our way.
“So, you need 34 states to be able to write an amendment, and then eventually send it to the states for ratification. We have 27,” he noted.
“Idaho and Montana are kind of on the bubble. There’s some support, but maybe not enough,” so he met with each state’s governor and legislature.
The point, DeSantis explained, is that “If all we’re going to do is hope Congress changes its behavior, we are never, ever, going to solve the problem.”
To drive the point home, he pointed out that from 1789 until 2000, the United States had accumulated $5.6 trillion in debt. But just in the last 24 years-plus, we added another $31 trillion — 12 years each under Republican and Democratic administrations.
Republicans make campaign promises every two years to balance the federal budget and start paying down the debt. Even Trump promised a balanced budget during his address before a joint session of Congress in March.
“In the near future, I want to do what has not been done in 24 years: balance the federal budget. We are going to balance it,” he vowed, eliciting one of the loudest applauses of the evening.
But recent disagreements over the OBBB led to a well-publicized dustup between Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who until recently directed Trump’s informal Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk is upset because the OBBB adds to the federal debt and doesn’t include any of the DOGE spending cut recommendations. Trump is anxious to get the OBBB approved in order to, among other things, make his tax cuts permanent.
Working in Trump’s favor is the fact that the OBBB isn’t strictly a budget bill — it’s a reconciliation bill. The next budget bill won’t be due until September.
Working to Musk’s favor is that if this is how a Republican majority treats a reconciliation bill, what are they going to do in three months on an actual budget.
Will they take their job seriously, or will they continue racking up debt? Will they present 12 small, individual budget bills as they should, or will they give us one huge omnibus bill filled with pork that no one can possibly read before voting on it?
Whatever happens, a balanced budget amendment is a step in the right direction. Even if DeSantis is unable to find the 34 states needed to get the ball rolling, at 29, he may be close enough to put the fear of God into Congress for them to do their job responsibly.
And if it works to balance the budget, we can do the same in other areas — term limits, insider trading, the sky’s the limit.
We have to get back to that original blueprint that the Founders gave us for the federal government — a government of, by, and for the people, where the people are in charge, and everyone in government is our servant.
If we are to ever control an otherwise uncontrollable Congress, this is the way.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He’s also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz’s Reports — More Here.
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