WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today made the following comment regarding the Senate Democrats’ failure to pass a budget for 1,400 days:

“Today marks the 1,400th day since the Democrat-led Senate last passed a formal budget. American families and small businesses are required to live by a budget and Congress should be no different. For nearly four years, Senate Democrats have willfully ignored their legal obligation to propose and pass a budget and nearly $5.5 trillion has been added to the nation’s debt during this time. The Senate’s failure to pass a budget has resulted in policies like sequestration, which is no way to run the $3.5 trillion enterprise that is the federal government.

“Vice President Biden has said, ‘Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.’ This statement speaks volumes about the Senate Democrats’ priorities for almost four consecutive years. It’s time to get a new set of priorities, and finally begin to rein in Washington’s dangerous levels of spending and debt so that we can create economic growth, jobs, and opportunities for American workers.”