Senate Republicans will mount a new push this fall for a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, just when the war heats up over whether to extend the tax cuts for the rich.
The Republican agenda:
1) Push for an increase in the deficit by some $3.1 trillion over the next ten years (pdf) by extending the Bush tax cuts, which already compose a large chunk of the deficit.
2) Push for a constitutional amendment to balance the budget.
If such an amendment were to pass (it probably wouldn't), the Republicans, in their perfect world, would cut a variety of social programs to pay for the tax cuts. Or they would make an exception in the amendment for tax cuts and defense, and keep these items "off budget." One thing is for sure: they're mainly interested in cutting spending on the poor and middle class while offering huge, deficit-creating handouts for the rich. In other words, spreading the wealth to people who don't need it.