Balanced Budget Amendment Fails

The Republican push to institute a balanced budget amendment to the constitution has failed via a 261-165 vote (needed 2/3) in the House, after five hours of debate over the last two days. The vote was a part of the deal struck during debt-limit negotiations three months ago in exchange for a raise of the debt ceiling. Congress last voted for a balanced budget amendment in the 1990s although it failed by one vote in 1997. In Friday’s vote, only 25 Democrats voted in the affirmative – well short of the 70 Democrats who voted for it in 1995.