Below is the lastest from FNC’s Chad Pergram on the balanced budget amendment vote:
Urgent: Guidance on balanced budget amendment and supercommittee today
Per Pergram-Capitol Hill
The House resumes debate on the balanced budget amendment today shortly after 9 am et.
We are expecting debate to run until early afternoon with a final vote before 2 or so.
Remember, a constitutional amendment need a two-thirds vote to pass. If the House were at full capacity and everyone is voting, that would be 290 votes. But with absences and one vacancy, we expect that necessary number to be in the 280s.
That is a tough lift.
All 242 Republicans are expected to vote yes. But the measure probably won’t get much support from Democrats. In other words, the R’s would need well over 40 Democrats to help them out.
The high-water mark for a balanced budget amendment was in 1995 when it was part of the Contract With America. That version (which is nearly the same as this one) passed with 300 yeas. 72 Democrats voted yes. They won’t get anywhere near that much Democratic support today.
In addition, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and several other Democrats who voted yes then are still here. Hoyer has said he will vote no.
We’ll put the floor in a REM around 9.
On the supercommittee….
Talks continue. All supercommittee R’s meet in H-157 of the Capitol at 9:15 am today. I have asked for a stakeout. Unsure yet about the Democrats.
Chad Pergram
FOX News
Senior Producer
U.S. House of Representatives
