Balanced Budget Amendment Advances : Deficit: A Senate panel acts to add the spending rule to the Constitution. A close vote is expected, and the measure’s fate in the House is uncertain.

Acting with bipartisan support, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11 to 3 Thursday for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution that would forbid federal deficit spending unless approved by 60% majorities in the House and Senate.

The proposed constitutional change, which is supported by President Bush, would also require the President to submit to Congress a federal budget with projected outlays below the level of expected revenues.

Before it can take effect, however, the measure must be approved by two-thirds majorities in both the Senate and the House and be ratified by 38 of the 50 states, a difficult process that few proposed amendments have survived.

The Senate approved a similar amendment in 1982, but it never made it through the House. In 1986, the same amendment fell one vote short of passage in the Senate.

It was not clear when the full Senate would vote on the measure approved by the Judiciary Committee, but both sides said that they expected a close vote. The measure’s prospects in the House are uncertain.

Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.), chief sponsor of the legislation, noted that the federal government last balanced its budget in 1969 and that the national debt since has climbed over the $3-trillion mark.

“It’s about time we put a stop to this,” said Simon, who is facing a reelection fight this year. “We’ve tried legislative solutions . . . and it’s time we made fiscal responsibility a part of the Constitution.”

Opponents said that the President and Congress could enact a balanced budget without changing the Constitution. “We don’t need a constitutional amendment,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). “We need some political courage.”

Bush has called for passage of the amendment, even though he submitted a budget initially projecting a $64-billion deficit for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. In recent months, the estimated deficit has escalated to at least $160 billion and could reach $200 billion, the President’s advisers have said.

The Judiciary Committee acted as the President’s representatives and leading members of Congress concluded their fourth week of budget summit talks without any sign of agreement on a deficit-cutting package.

They plan additional meetings on Tuesday to hear a report from Defense Secretary Dick Cheney on estimated savings from a 25% reduction in U.S. military spending for weapons and troops. Summit participants also plan to discuss government revenues, including the sensitive topic of tax increases, before starting to negotiate on possible solutions.

“We’re at the end of the dance now, and we’ve got to start making decisions,” said Rep. Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.), ranking Republican member of the House Budget Committee. Frenzel said that he believes the negotiators should conclude an agreement and present it to Congress for approval before the August recess.

Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.), however, said in a Senate speech that he believes it might be months before the budget discussions produce an agreement--possibly requiring a lame-duck session of Congress after the November elections.