Five Budgets Fail in Senate
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Five Budgets Fail in Senate
By: Humberto Sanchez , Roll Call
May 16, 2012
The Senate defeated five budget proposals offered by Republicans
today, as the GOP sought to hammer Democrats for not producing a
budget resolution this year and for not putting one on the Senate
floor in the previous two years.
"Where in the world is it?" asked Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell (R-Ky.) on the floor, adding that Democrats have shirked
one of their primary legislative responsibilities - a move he said
demonstrates their inability to govern.
"We've got a nearly $16 trillion debt, we're borrowing more than
40 cents of every dollar we spend, entitlements are going broke,
millions are out of work and Democrats can't even put a plan on
paper for a vote," McConnell continued. "What are they doing over
there? Isn't anybody over there embarrassed by the fact that they
haven't offered a budget in three years?"
Democrats said the GOP effort was the latest example of
obstruction by Republicans, who have sought to slow the progress of
the Senate at every turn.
"It's almost universally acknowledged that Republican
obstructionism has reached new heights in the Senate," said Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). He added that GOP foot
dragging has required Democrats to file cloture even on legislation
that ends up passing with overwhelming bipartisan support - a move
that needlessly wastes precious floor time.
"Democrats would have to break a filibuster to declare the sky
blue or the Earth round," Reid said. "And passing even the most
common-sense, consensus legislation can take weeks or months."
"So, with a mile-long to-do list, we can't afford to waste
time," Reid continued. "Yet today Republicans will force the Senate
to waste a day on a series of political show votes."
The Majority Leader argued that Democrats have fulfilled their
budget duty by passing the Budget Control Act, the bipartisan deal
reached last summer that raised the debt ceiling and deemed
discretionary spending levels for fiscal 2013 - the primary
function of a budget resolution, which allows the appropriations
process to take place.
That measure passed the Senate 74-26, with 28 Republicans voting
for it.
"But since August those Republicans have developed a case of
amnesia. Why else would they walk around Washington claiming we
don't have a budget?" Reid said.
Republicans contend that the BCA is not a true budget
resolution, which typically projects revenue and spending out over
between five and 10 years.
The Senate defeated the House budget resolution authored by
House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), 41-58. The dissenting
votes included five Republicans. The House approved the measure in
late March on a roughly party line vote, 228-119. The Senate
defeated a similar Ryan proposal last year 40-57.
Support for Ryan's budget, which would overhaul Medicare, opens
Senate Republicans up to attacks from Democrats that they want to
cut the seniors' health care program while providing tax cuts for
the wealthy.
The Senate also defeated a proposal from Sen. Jeff Sessions
(R-Ala.) which mimics President Barack Obama's fiscal 2013 budget
plan. The measure was rejected 0-99, similar to last year when it
was defeated 0-97.
Senate Budget Chariman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said the Sessions
proposal "is not what the president proposed so" of course
Democrats would not support it.
McConnell said the vote was "not surprising when you consider
just how bad the president's budget is. It's bad for jobs because
it includes the biggest tax hike in history, it's bad for seniors
because it lets Medicare and Social Security become insolvent and
it's bad for our economy because it fails to address the nation's
$15 trillion debt."
Along with the Obama and Ryan budgets, the Senate rejected
spending blueprints from Republican Sens. Pat Toomey (Pa.), Mike
Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.).
The Toomey plan, defeated 42-57, would have balanced the budget
by 2020. Lee's proposal, which would have balanced the budget by
2017, was rejected 17-82, and Paul's budget, which also would have
reached balance by 2017, fell 16-83.