Senate Republicans are pushing Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution, to hold hearings on the balanced-budget amendment:

Dear Chairman Durbin,
Our nation is facing a fiscal crisis that is only getting worse. The national debt, now over $14 trillion, has increased by more than one-third since January 2009. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the deficit for the current fiscal year will be approximately $1.4 trillion and the national debt will soon be larger than the economy. The debt also has implications for our national security. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calls the debt “the most significant threat to our national security.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns that the debt “sends a message of weakness internationally.”
Therefore, we ask that you immediately hold hearings on S.J.Res. 10, which calls for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. S.J.Res. 10 would also put in place a much-needed restraint on runaway Washington spending and protect working Americans from higher taxes. S.J.Res. 10 is supported by 47 Senators and has the support of numerous grassroots organizations.

GOP senators Cornyn, Hatch, Grassley, Kyl, Sessions, Graham, Lee, and Coburn signed the letter. Some background here and here.