A number of politicians, including Sen. Orrin Hatch, are saying they will get a balanced budget amendment passed if they are elected. This is a noble idea but I wonder if the general public has any idea what it takes to add an amendment to the Constitution?

Very simply, it takes a two-thirds vote in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. If that is completed, it takes an affirmative vote of three-fourths of all the states to ratify the amendment as well.

One can imagine what a huge project it is to amend the Constitution, no matter how viable the idea may be.

I seriously doubt any of the politicians proposing the balanced budget amendment would live long enough to see the process through to completion.

David G. Klemm

Murray