Furthering his commitment to balance the budget, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) supported legislation passed by the House today that will require the president to produce a balanced budget or submit a plan that indicates the earliest year he believes balance can be achieved.

 The measure, known as the Require a PLAN Act (H.R. 444), which is co-sponsored by Luetkemeyer, and was introduced by Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee Tom Price (R-GA), heads to the Senate for consideration. It would require the president to come up with a balanced budget by April 1, 2013.

 “For the fourth time in five years, the president has failed to meet the legal deadline for submitting a budget and the Democratic Senate has failed time and again to consider responsible budgets passed by the House. This bill gives the president the opportunity to show if he is serious about balancing the budget and getting our nation’s fiscal house back in order,” Luetkemeyer said. “I am hopeful that this measure, as well as our commitment in the House to not be paid if we fail to produce a budget, will prompt the president to do what’s right and produce a balanced budget.”

 Luetkemeyer, just hours after his swearing-in as the new Congressman for Missouri’s 3rd District on January 3, 2013, announced that he was co-sponsoring two Balanced Budget Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.