Media Updates
WASHINGTON – Calling President Obama’s $3.6 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 the “worst he has ever seen,” Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today voted against the proposal that will swamp the nation in a morass of debt.
Hatch said the budget proposal (S. Con. Res. 13), which received no Republican votes in the House or the Senate, reads like a policy manifesto for the far left and will move America closer to European-style socialism.
“This is a sad day for me, a sad day for Congress and, most important, a sad day for our country,” Hatch said following the Senate’s 53-43 vote. “Democrats are touting this vote as a victory and triumph for the president, coming as it does on his 100th day in office. But this budget is a tragedy for Americans everywhere – one that won’t go away for much longer than 100 days.
“Simply put,” Hatch added, “this budget proposal is simply awful, and the consequences of its passage could well be catastrophic for generations of Americans. In implementing this budget, the Democrats will create more debt than all the previous administrations combined. Moreover, the budget lays the groundwork for the largest tax increases in U.S. history."
Hatch also expressed concern that the final version of the budget includes reconciliation instructions to the Finance Committee on health care reform.
"I know this is an arcane issue, but it is a very important one," Hatch stated. "The inclusion of these instructions allows the Democrats to lower the threshold of getting health care reform through the Senate with just 51 votes, rather than the usual 60 votes. In other words, it substantially reduces the chances that the minority party can stop bad legislation from being enacted."
Hatch noted that the Founding Fathers set up the House of Representatives to be a majoritarian body in which 50 percent of the members plus one can roll over the minority. Conversely, they established the Senate to be a chamber in which the minority has more rights and has the ability to slow down legislation.
"Now that the Senate Democrats are approaching 60 votes, they should not need to rely on shortcut devices like the reconciliation procedure,” Hatch said. “Their insistence on its use shows that they and the president are not really serious about moving health care reform in a bipartisan fashion. The Democrats’ decision to misuse this reconciliation procedure will cut short debate on some of the most important legislation Congress has considered in a generation."
The House passed S. Con. Res. 13 by a 233-193 margin.
Hatch said the budget proposal (S. Con. Res. 13), which received no Republican votes in the House or the Senate, reads like a policy manifesto for the far left and will move America closer to European-style socialism.
“This is a sad day for me, a sad day for Congress and, most important, a sad day for our country,” Hatch said following the Senate’s 53-43 vote. “Democrats are touting this vote as a victory and triumph for the president, coming as it does on his 100th day in office. But this budget is a tragedy for Americans everywhere – one that won’t go away for much longer than 100 days.
“Simply put,” Hatch added, “this budget proposal is simply awful, and the consequences of its passage could well be catastrophic for generations of Americans. In implementing this budget, the Democrats will create more debt than all the previous administrations combined. Moreover, the budget lays the groundwork for the largest tax increases in U.S. history."
Hatch also expressed concern that the final version of the budget includes reconciliation instructions to the Finance Committee on health care reform.
"I know this is an arcane issue, but it is a very important one," Hatch stated. "The inclusion of these instructions allows the Democrats to lower the threshold of getting health care reform through the Senate with just 51 votes, rather than the usual 60 votes. In other words, it substantially reduces the chances that the minority party can stop bad legislation from being enacted."
Hatch noted that the Founding Fathers set up the House of Representatives to be a majoritarian body in which 50 percent of the members plus one can roll over the minority. Conversely, they established the Senate to be a chamber in which the minority has more rights and has the ability to slow down legislation.
"Now that the Senate Democrats are approaching 60 votes, they should not need to rely on shortcut devices like the reconciliation procedure,” Hatch said. “Their insistence on its use shows that they and the president are not really serious about moving health care reform in a bipartisan fashion. The Democrats’ decision to misuse this reconciliation procedure will cut short debate on some of the most important legislation Congress has considered in a generation."
The House passed S. Con. Res. 13 by a 233-193 margin.
