Washington ( CNN ) -- The Democratic-controlled Senate on Wednesday rejected two proposed versions for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution -- a setback to GOP leaders and conservative activists who say the measure is necessary to end the federal government 's spiraling deficit spending . A Democratic version opposed by Republicans fell on a 21-79 vote . Then a Republican version also failed to get the two-thirds majority required with a 47-53 vote . Last month , the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to pass a GOP-proposed amendment , falling 23 votes shy of the two-thirds majority required for passage . The congressional votes on the amendment were agreed to by both parties in August as part of the agreement raising Washington 's debt ceiling . Democratic leaders , however , are vehemently opposed to the idea , arguing that it would force the government into an economically destructive cycle of massive spending cuts . Sen. Dick Durbin , D-Illinois , said Wednesday that a step as historically significant as a constitutional amendment was unnecessary . Getting government spending under control `` takes political will , even political courage , '' Durbin said , but `` it does n't take a constitutional amendment . '' Conservative Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah disagreed , saying Congress has repeatedly proved it 's unable to control itself on spending . `` We are taxing and spending this country into bankruptcy , '' Hatch said , later adding , `` We do n't have any restraint around here . '' Despite the proposal 's defeat , it has been favored by the public . Nearly three in four Americans favored passage of the amendment in a July 18-20 CNN/ORC International Poll , while 24 % were opposed . Sixty percent of Americans say they believe a balanced budget amendment is necessary to get the deficit under control , according to the poll . The House passed a balanced budget amendment in 1995 , but the measure fell one vote short in the Senate in both 1995 and 1997 .
The Republicans fail to get the two - thirds majority required . The votes were required under the debt ceiling agreement reached in 2009 . A Republican version of the bill previously failed to pass the House .