05.23.11

Joint Statement From Senate Budget Committee Republicans Marking 750 Days Since Senate Dems Have Passed A Budget

WASHINGTON—All 11 Republican members of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee—Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)—issued the following joint statement today on the failure of Senate Democrats to produce a budget this year or pass one in 750 days:

‘‘Today marks the 750th day since the Democrat-led Senate has passed a budget. During that time we have accumulated $3.2 trillion in gross debt. We are headed for a fiscal crisis that threatens our whole economy and yet the Democrat Senate refuses to put forward a plan—or to even allow a Senate budget to be presented and debated in public.

Democrats campaigned for the majority. They asked for the job. To shut down the budget process is a deep disservice to the American electorate.

Federal spending has grown from $1.8 trillion in 2001 to $3.7 trillion today. America has heard many empty promises about cutting spending. The American people deserve an honest budget that holds up to serious scrutiny. They deserve a budget that puts an end to the Washington spending spree instead of hiking taxes to pay for it. They deserve a budget that confronts our economic crisis today and prevents economic decline tomorrow. To begin moving in that direction we hope that Senate Democrats will end the budget blockade.’’

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