“I have repeatedly and emphatically called for an end to the Senate Democrats’ brazen legal defiance in this time of national fiscal emergency… To compel Senate action I have introduced legislation, blocked recess, and encouraged the use of the debt ceiling as leverage. Now, with their pay threatened, and long-simmering public anger growing, Senate Democrats […]
“The House must be steadfast. It is unthinkable that Senator Reid and Chairman Murray would put the nation through turmoil because they refuse to do their moral and statutory duty to produce a budget… It will not be easy because the challenge is great—and has become greater each year as a result of inaction by […]
“The suggested schedule we offer below would result in regular meetings and a timeline that leads to the completion of a budget resolution in accordance with the statutory requirements… We believe that work on a Senate budget is an essential prerequisite of any fiscal reform that takes place this year.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), […]
“We must return to the moral principles of the 1996 reform… It is through that prism that we should consider reforms to our welfare programs, ensure resources are targeted to those in genuine need, and help more people transition from dependence to independence.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued […]
“Jack Lew must never be Secretary of the Treasury. His testimony before the Senate Budget Committee less than two years ago was so outrageous and false that it alone disqualifies… He is also the architect of two of the worst budgets in American history, both of which received zero votes in the Senate… For me, […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today as committee assignments were announced for the 113th Congress: “I am thrilled with the strong Republican membership we have on the Budget Committee and grateful for their support. I look forward to working with my colleagues to tackle […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement tonight about the vote on legislation to prevent the fiscal cliff by avoiding large tax increases as well as making permanent the temporary tax relief passed in 2001 and 2003: “This legislation is necessary to prevent a large and […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement tonight about the status of negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff: “No deal has been produced and no agreement has yet been reached that Congress could vote on, much less one that could be scored by CBO or scrutinized […]
“In some of our first inquiries in examination of their program, we find that they are on a determined effort to expand the number of people who get on welfare—on food stamps—even if they don’t want to be on food stamps… Is this the right approach for America? … Can’t we look back to the […]
“President Obama talks a lot about a ‘balanced plan’ for deficit reduction, but there is one simple question the White House won’t answer: how do you plan to balance the budget?” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today about a new report from the Congressional […]
WASHINGTON—Senators Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today sent a letter to Wendy Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a government entity responsible for matching volunteers with local community service organizations. The letter outlines […]
“There is a reason why the White House strongly prefers to operate in secrecy… If the White House believes our analysts are mistaken, the Budget Committee is standing by to review any concrete financial plan the President wishes to produce.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following […]
“Until this fantasy ‘plan’ from a secret meeting is made public and scored by the Congressional Budget Office it does not exist… It is a distraction that allows the White House to continue to run out the clock so it can have maximal leverage to force through a bad deal in the last minutes before […]
“Insofar as I can see, a tax-and-spend policy remains [President Obama’s] goal today. The White House isn’t planning to raise taxes to reduce the deficit, but to grow the government. I don’t believe Congress will accept such a deal if that is what is being discussed… Shouldn’t the President of the United States, the only […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after the Senate voted to uphold a budget point of order he raised against the sportsmen’s bill, which violated budget levels agreed to by Congress and the President: “I’m pleased my colleagues agreed that the Senate should abide […]
“While Social Security trustees can correctly say that the money they loaned to the Treasury is theirs to draw upon, the Treasury—already in debt and without reserves—cannot deny that it is right now borrowing money from the United States and the world to pay that obligation.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the […]
“Federal law prohibits the granting of visas to those likely to be welfare reliant, yet DHS actively promotes these benefits to millions of new arrivals every year. DHS knows this, which is perhaps why they refuse to comply with an oversight request on this very issue from the Ranking Members of four Senate Committees… DHS […]
“Secrecy cements the status quo: more spending, more debt, more runaway government. It is the enemy of accountability, change, and reform… That is why I am calling upon our leaders to guarantee that any plan to avert the fiscal cliff has one full week on the Senate floor with open amendment and debate.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. […]
“I hope to work with Senator Murray to find common ground… The Senate is supposed to be the world’s great deliberative body… Enough secret meetings and last-minute backroom deals. The Budget Committee should do its job, as the law requires, in the full, open, and public light of day. I hope Senator Murray will make […]
“Real entitlement reform requires welfare reform. A modest reduction in growth, along with improved standards and work requirements, can produce substantial savings and ensure resources are targeted to those in need.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today in response to comments by President Obama […]
“Experts on both sides of the aisle agree that we need a bare minimum of $4 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years… There is the potential to achieve one quarter of [these savings] through welfare reform… Amazingly, welfare—the largest budget item—has been largely exempt from discussions of fiscal reform. A modest reduction in growth, […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today about new October jobs figures and a Committee analysis that for every one person added to the jobs rolls since the President took office, 75 people were added to the food stamp rolls: “Simply put, the President’s policies […]
“All of [President Obama’s] signature policies were implemented—and $5 trillion was added to our debt—and it yielded only one-third of the growth it was supposed to deliver.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today about new figures that show annualized GDP growth so far this […]
“This is surely one of the greatest financial misrepresentations ever made to the American people. His budget achieves one-tenth of the pledged deficit reduction and, instead of cutting spending, he surges it dramatically… It is not only a question of leadership but a question of character—and duty. At this point, the greatest obstacle to preventing […]
“We have learned this week from the Congressional Research Service that the United States now spends more on welfare than any other federal program… [Yet] the Administration continues a vast array of controversial promotions to further expand enrollment, when the focus should be on expanding economic growth and opportunity… Such activities cannot be justified to […]
“No longer should we measure compassion by how much money the government spends on poverty but by how many people we help to rise out of poverty… This is about more than rescuing our finances. It’s about creating a more optimistic future for millions of struggling Americans.” WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of […]
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued a statement today as the Committee released a new chart showing that since January 2009, for every 1 person who entered the labor force, 10 people were added to those not in the labor force. To view the chart, please click here. […]
In letter to Secretary Geithner, lawmakers write, “Just over a year [since the debt limit was last raised], we’ve already exhausted 87 percent of the $2.1 trillion increase in federal borrowing authority, averaging more than $4 billion in borrowing a day… With more complete information about when the debt limit may next be reached, we […]
“The report confirms that the United States has experienced its fourth straight deficit in excess of a trillion dollars… Disturbingly, the report from Secretary Geithner also repeats the fraudulent claim that the President’s February budget achieves $4 trillion in deficit reduction. But, according to the President’s own budget tables, his plan would increase debt nearly […]
“Your letter asserts that ‘we do not pressure any eligible person to accept benefits, nor is our goal to simply increase the number of program participants.’ But the content of USDA’s advertisements and promotion campaigns demonstrate otherwise… There is even a promotional guide suggesting those targeted for enrollment harm their communities by not accepting benefits… […]