754 Days & Counting Since Senate Democrats Passed A Budget
It’s been more than 750 days since U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and the Democrats who run the Senate have performed the most basic job function of Congress by passing a federal budget – during which time the federal debt has risen by an additional $3.1 trillion.
But despite our nation’s growing fiscal crisis, Senate Democrats have yet to even propose a budget in the current 112th Congress, let alone debate and pass one, and Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) now claims that it would be “foolish” for Democrats to attempt to do their jobs by proposing a budget.
As the Los Angeles Times reports:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it would be “foolish” for Democrats to propose their own federal budget for 2012, despite continued attacks from Republicans that the party is ducking its responsibility to put forward a solution to the nation’s deficit problems. “There’s no need to have a Democratic budget in my opinion,” Reid said in an interview Thursday. “It would be foolish for us to do a budget at this stage.”
As a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2006, Nelson repeatedly expressed his support for a balanced budget and routinely pilloried Republicans for their fiscal record in Washington. But his record in Washington has been to do the exact opposite, failing to propose any budget, let alone a balanced budget, and rubberstamping his party’s failed economic agenda – including the $787 billion stimulus and ObamaCare, which the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently estimated will increase federal deficits by $260 billion through 2019.
In stark contrast, every U.S. Senate Republican is on record this Congress in supporting a balanced budget amendment in Washington. Meanwhile, the Florida Constitution requires the legislature to balance the state budget.
“Bill Nelson campaigned for Senate promising to support a balanced budget, but he’s done the exact opposite in Washington,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “Now after more than 750 days, Nelson and the Democrats say it would be ‘foolish’ to do their jobs and pass a budget. Every Florida family and small business has to put together a budget and live within their means, so why shouldn’t Nelson and the Senate Democrats?”
Background Information:
As Democrats continue to spend, Americans are still waiting for their budget:
- “… it’s been more than 700 days since the Democrat-controlled Senate has actually passed a budget.” (Andrew Stiles, “Conrad the Cowardly Budget Chair?” National Review, 05/06/11)
- “It has been more than 700 days since Senate Democrats have voted on a budget. Republicans sent a letter to Conrad this week demanding to see a budget before they are forced to vote on it. Conrad has not responded.” (Conn Carroll, “Morning Examiner: The most important number of the week,” The Examiner, 05/06/11)
- “Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) says he has no immediate plans to mark up a budget, as members of his committee continue to disagree over spending cuts and tax increases….Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) cast doubt on whether Conrad’s effort will succeed. ‘I don’t know there is going to be a Conrad budget,’ Baucus said.” (Alex Bolton, Senate Dems’ Budget In Limbo, The Hill 5/17/2011)
Since the Democrat-controlled Senate last passed a budget, the federal debt has risen by an additional $3.1 trillion:
- On April 27, 2009, The National Debt Was $11.2 Trillion. (Treasury Direct Website, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 5/18/11)
- Today, The National Debt Is Over $14.3 Trillion. (Treasury Direct Website, www.treasurydirect.gov, Accessed 5/18/11)
And aside from not passing a budget, Senate Democrats aren’t doing much of anything else either:
- “The legislative snoozefest that has been the U.S. Senate this year isn’t likely to change anytime soon …” (Steven T. Dennis, “Senate Faces Modest Agenda as Debt Limit Looms,” Roll Call, 05/01/11)
- “Even the modest agenda laid out by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has begun to stall.” (Steven T. Dennis, “Senate Faces Modest Agenda as Debt Limit Looms,” Roll Call, 05/01/11)
- “Through last week, the Senate had held only 70 roll-call votes, the lowest level through this point in the year since 1997. About a quarter of those votes have been on nominations — many of them noncontroversial.” (Manu Raju, “Slow-go Senate avoids tough roll-call votes,” Politico, 05/18/11)
But As A Candidate For the Senate In 2006, Bill Nelson Expressed Support For A Federal Balanced Budget:
When Campaigning In 2006, Bill Nelson Said He Wanted To Bring A Pay-As-You Go Policy To The Federal Budget:
NELSON: “But What We Ought To Do Is We Ought To Have A Pay-As-You-Go Policy, That If You Want To Pay For Something, And You Want To Spend The Money For This, You’re Going To Have To Identify A Revenue Source To Pay For It. And That’s The Only Thing That’s Going To Get Us Out Of This Mess That We’re In. Instead of everybody point their fingers and saying, ‘this tax,’ and so forth. What – I would just point out – there are 22 editorial boards from major daily newspapers, all of them that have endorsed thus far, they’ve endorsed me. And over and over in these editorial endorsements, they say I am a political moderate in the mainstream, and not a big tax-and-spender.” (November 1, 2006 debate, http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/FloridaSenateDebate)
The Florida Constitution Requires The Legislature To Balance The Budget
The Florida Legislature Has A Constitutional Mandate To Produce A Balanced Budget. “The governor might have added that, unlike Congress, the Florida Legislature has a constitutional mandate to produce a balanced budget. Lawmakers can’t walk away from the state’s $3.8 billion projected budget deficit. The Legislature has to stand and deliver a balanced budget plan, regardless of how many politically painful choices have to be made.” (“Critics Of State Budget Cuts Don’t See The Whole Picture,” News Journal, 4/17/11)
Every Senate Republican Is On Record This Congress In Supporting A Balanced Budget Amendment
“U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, today joined with all 47 Republican members of the U.S. Senate to introduce a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in order to restore fiscal accountability in Washington and stop adding to the country’s $14 trillion debt.” (U.S. Senator John Thune, Press Release, 03/31/11)
