Andy Biggs, Eli Crane Decry Balanced Budget Amendment Failure

Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Eli Crane (R-AZ) took to social media to express their thoughts on the failure of the former's Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.

Rep. Biggs had originally introduced the bill in early 2025, but the legislative effort died Wednesday on the House floor, with 207 votes in favor and 211 against. Only a single Democrat voted in favor.

"Despite today's setback, I will never stop fighting to restore fiscal discipline, rein in out-of-control spending, and put our nation back on a sustainable path," Rep. Biggs posted on X. "The American people demand a government that is accountable, responsible, and committed to protecting their future - not bankrupting it."

In a longer statement included in his post, the Arizona congressman further expressed that "for decades, both parties have talked about fiscal responsibility while racking up trillions in debt and passing the bill to our children and grandchildren."

"The failure of this amendment is a stark reminder that there is no political will to rein in spending in Washington," Biggs continued. "Instead of making the tough decisions today, Congress continues to kick the can down the road, fueling inflation, weakening our economy, and threatening America's long-term stability."

Rep. Crane responded to a post by CSPAN's Craig Caplan, who noted that Democratic leadership told its members to vote against the bill, with Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) being the sole vote in favor.

"Democrat leaders urged their members to vote no. Think about that. A simple balanced budget amendment," Rep. Crane responded to Caplan's post.

In a March 2024 interview with Cactus Politics, Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ) suggested that a balanced budget is still possible "if you built enough shock absorbers into it, but the math? We actually missed the window to do it truly and honestly about a dozen years ago."

A solution, he posited, is that "you would actually design it so your first trigger is current borrowing needs to not exceed current growth in the economy. So if the economy expands, so [Gross Domestic Product] expands by $1 trillion, that is your cap. You cannot borrow more than that."