Washington, DC– U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives failed to pass H.J.RES.2, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. The vote was 261-165, short of the two-thirds required to pass a Constitutional amendment.

"With the news this week of our nation's debt surpassing $15 trillion, today's vote couldn't have come soon enough," said Hultgren, a co-sponsor of the legislation. "Unfortunately, a minority of my colleagues felt that the unsustainable spending of the last few years is acceptable, and thus defied the will of the American people.

"While I would have preferred a stronger version of the balanced budget amendment, I was proud to support today's bill. It would have provided the permanent spending reform that would hold all future Congresses accountable for their actions and put an end to our spending-driven debt crisis, caused by past administrations and past Congresses who just couldn't or wouldn't say, 'No more.'

"Today we had an opportunity to forever change the way Washington spends money and finally bring accountability back to Congress, and while I am disappointed by the result of today's vote, I will continue to fight to restore fiscal sanity to federal government and put an end to the out-of-control spending that has plagued us for decades."