In 1971, the 26th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution, expanding the voting age to 18 years or older. Now, 23 years later, the U.S. Senate is attempting to change the age-old document again -- only this time, the Senate has the federal budget on its mind.

The amendment would require a three-fifths vote of the House of Representatives and Senate before federal spending could exceed revenue in any year. The requirements would go into effect in 2001 and be waived in the event of a declaration of war by Congress.

Both Sen. Harris Wofford, D-Pa., and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., have supported the possible balanced budget amendment. A representative from Wofford's office said Wofford has supported such an amendment since 1991 and will continue to support a balanced budget amendment.

Wofford thinks there are ways this amendment could be improved -- especially to protect older citizens, a Wofford representative said. In Senate discussions, Wofford will work to ensure that the proposed amendment protects older citizens, a representative said.

Specter's office could not be reached for comment.

In order to amend the U.S. Constitution, the House and Senate are required to have a two-thirds majority in both houses. The amendment would then be sent to the states for ratification. The final Senate vote may not come for several weeks.

President Clinton has opposed the amendment, saying that it would take money away from social security.

Dave Shaver, state director of United We Stand America-Pennsylvania Inc., said during Clinton's election campaign, Clinton said the country has not had a balanced budget for 32 out of the last 33 years. The deficit has increased 142 percent since 1985 and $267 billion in the '90s alone, Shaver said.

"That would be to say that every American owes the government $17,500, every taxpayer would owe $40,000," Shaver said. "It is your future."

With the country about $4.5 trillion in debt, most Pennsylvania U.S. representatives also support a balanced budget amendment, Shaver said. About 290 votes are needed to pass the budget in the House and 67 votes in the Senate, he said.

Currently the budget amendment has about 218 votes in the House and about 60 in the Senate, Shaver said, adding that he thinks the amendment would pass in the House, but the Senate still needs about seven votes.

Will Enscore, president of College Republicans, said he thinks a balanced budget amendment is a necessity to remedy the national debt problem, but added that the Senate vote will be a close one.

"I don't see how many Americans would oppose such an amendment," Enscore said. If an amendment is passed on the national level, Enscore said he thinks states might consider adopting such amendments.

Shaver said some states -- such as Arkansas -- already have balanced budget policies.

Even though Clinton has opposed the balanced budget amendment, Andrew Kreider, president of College Democrats, said he thinks an amendment is definitely needed. The country needs a balanced budget guarantee that is not going to change as the Congress changes, he said.

Supporters of the balanced budget amendment fear that politically attractive proposals, such as the one to protect social security, could unravel support for the amendment itself. U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., the leading Democratic sponsor, came out against a plan to bar social security tax revenues from being used.

Simon and Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, began with 55 backers of their proposal designed to eliminate deficits. Despite pulling in a few wavering Republicans last week, Craig estimates that the amendment is five or more votes short of the number set by the framers of the Constitution.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said he fears a balanced budget requirement might worsen any future recession and the reliance on estimates to determine whether the budget is balanced among them.

Conrad added that some senators are working on a provision to assure that taxes would rise if revenue estimates proved to be too low, and spending would be cut if expenditures rose above estimates.

In addition, he said there has been discussion of a provision to exempt certain permanent items purchased by the government --such as aircraft carriers and courthouses -- from the amendment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.