Heller looks to balance sheets

Nevada Sen. Dean Heller joined fellow Republicans today in touting a balanced budget amendment as they also look to fill their campaign coffers.

“Families and businesses across the country work within a budget, and it is time the federal government did the same.  Our government needs a Balanced Budget Amendment to force Washington to live within its means,” said Heller in a press release.

Senate Republican leaders meanwhile held a press conference today where they also touted a balanced budget amendment. At the same time, the political arm of the caucus – the National Republican Senatorial Campaign - issued statements contrasting that effort with that of Senate Democrats they claim are out to raise taxes and increase “wasteful” spending.

Heller also sent out a solicitation to potential contributors framing the issue:

“I wanted to give you an update on two big deadlines quickly coming up... one for our campaign, and one for our country. First, in less than 48 hours our campaign will reach our midnight, fundraising deadline for the quarter,” he wrote.

The second deadline, Heller said, is “a little more than a month” away – when the federal government reaches its debt limit.

“Before we can even consider raising the debt limit, and saddling our children and grandchildren with even more debt, we must put our country on the path to a balanced budget,” he said.

As a postscript, Heller asked for at least a $5 contribution to join the fight.

"If we lose the election, we're going lose to folks who are put us in this deficit hole and refuse to make the necessary spending cuts to get us out of it,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has no plans to allow a vote on the balanced budget amendment.

“Republicans just voted for a budget that ends Medicare and increases debt by $9 trillion.  They can’t cover that up with a ridiculous constitutional amendment that, ironically, would make their own budget unconstitutional,” said Reid spokesman Zac Petkanas.