Senate Democrats May Finally Produce A Budget, Or At Least A Call For More Tax Hikes
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” That’s why Congress should not raise the debt ceiling unless it includes immediate reforms today that put us on a sure path to balance, keep us in balance over time, provide for the common defense — and do not raise taxes. ~ Derrick Morgan, Heritage Foundation V.P. Economic Development
Today In Washington , D.C. - Jan. 24, 2013
The House was not in session today. The Senate reconvened today and began a period of morning business. At 10 AM, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began a confirmation hearing on President Obama’s nomination of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) to be Secretary of State. No action planned by the democrat leadership on the Sandy Relief bill.
It looks like after nearly four years with no budget, Senate Democrats may finally decide to create one and perhaps even vote on it. But indications are that their budget is likely to avoid the spending cuts that are needed to put our fiscal house in order and will instead return to demanding ever more tax increases.
According to Roll Call, “Three weeks ago, incoming Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., directed her staff to explore the pros and cons of actually crafting a budget resolution. . . . So when she tasked her staff to weigh the relative benefits of developing a budget, the major question she posed was whether the formal budget process was the best vehicle for Senate Democrats to ‘aggressively articulate a vision while putting us potentially on a path to bring this fiscal-debt-deficit debate to a close,’ one source said. Some sources familiar with the process said the hammering Democrats have taken for not producing a budget in more than 1,000 days did not factor into the decision, but at least one senior Democratic aide said the GOP barrage was one of three major reasons for Senate Democrats’ change of heart on the matter. . . . The other major factor, of course, was political. Senate Democratic leaders’ highest priority through 2012 was maintaining their majority as they faced what they and others believed was going to be a bruising election cycle. A budget resolution is a nonbinding measure, and leaders did not want their vulnerable members to unnecessarily cast politically risky votes in the budget ‘vote-a-rama’ that typically accompanies the Senate debate.”
Meanwhile, Politico reports that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the number three Democrat in the Senate, is spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to push even more tax hikes, including in a budget process.
This morning, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “It’s nice to see that, after years of playing budget peak-a-boo, Senate Democrats are finally ready to take up their most basic of responsibilities, and only a few weeks after the chairwoman of the Budget Committee indicated they might skip it, for the fourth year in a row. What’s unfortunate is that it’s required so much pressure to get them to do so. It’s a stark contrast to House Republicans, who’ve taken their duties seriously.”
He continued, “We know Senate Democrats don't like the House budgets. And we know they don't even support the President’s budgets — at least not with their votes. What we haven’t known for nearly four years is what they’re for, because they’ve refused to put their plans for the country down on paper and actually vote for them. Now, it’s my hope that the Democrats’ sudden interest in passing a budget isn’t just another attempt to raise taxes. As I’ve said repeatedly, we’re done with revenue. The President has already said that the so-called ‘rich’ are now paying their ‘fair share,’ and of course middle-income families are already on the hook for new taxes as a result of Obamacare. So the question is, who would be in the firing line this time? At what cost? Look: struggling families shouldn’t have to pick up the tab again for Washington’s inability to live within its means. We need to start solving the actual problem, which is spending, and we need to do it together.”
Tags: U.S. Senate, Sandy Bill, President Obama, nomination, John Kerry,Secretary of State, budget, taxes To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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| 1970: John Kerry met with North Vietnamese Communists violating U.S. law. Nominated by President Obama for Secretary of State. |
The House was not in session today. The Senate reconvened today and began a period of morning business. At 10 AM, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began a confirmation hearing on President Obama’s nomination of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) to be Secretary of State. No action planned by the democrat leadership on the Sandy Relief bill.
It looks like after nearly four years with no budget, Senate Democrats may finally decide to create one and perhaps even vote on it. But indications are that their budget is likely to avoid the spending cuts that are needed to put our fiscal house in order and will instead return to demanding ever more tax increases.
According to Roll Call, “Three weeks ago, incoming Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., directed her staff to explore the pros and cons of actually crafting a budget resolution. . . . So when she tasked her staff to weigh the relative benefits of developing a budget, the major question she posed was whether the formal budget process was the best vehicle for Senate Democrats to ‘aggressively articulate a vision while putting us potentially on a path to bring this fiscal-debt-deficit debate to a close,’ one source said. Some sources familiar with the process said the hammering Democrats have taken for not producing a budget in more than 1,000 days did not factor into the decision, but at least one senior Democratic aide said the GOP barrage was one of three major reasons for Senate Democrats’ change of heart on the matter. . . . The other major factor, of course, was political. Senate Democratic leaders’ highest priority through 2012 was maintaining their majority as they faced what they and others believed was going to be a bruising election cycle. A budget resolution is a nonbinding measure, and leaders did not want their vulnerable members to unnecessarily cast politically risky votes in the budget ‘vote-a-rama’ that typically accompanies the Senate debate.”
Meanwhile, Politico reports that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the number three Democrat in the Senate, is spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to push even more tax hikes, including in a budget process.
This morning, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “It’s nice to see that, after years of playing budget peak-a-boo, Senate Democrats are finally ready to take up their most basic of responsibilities, and only a few weeks after the chairwoman of the Budget Committee indicated they might skip it, for the fourth year in a row. What’s unfortunate is that it’s required so much pressure to get them to do so. It’s a stark contrast to House Republicans, who’ve taken their duties seriously.”
He continued, “We know Senate Democrats don't like the House budgets. And we know they don't even support the President’s budgets — at least not with their votes. What we haven’t known for nearly four years is what they’re for, because they’ve refused to put their plans for the country down on paper and actually vote for them. Now, it’s my hope that the Democrats’ sudden interest in passing a budget isn’t just another attempt to raise taxes. As I’ve said repeatedly, we’re done with revenue. The President has already said that the so-called ‘rich’ are now paying their ‘fair share,’ and of course middle-income families are already on the hook for new taxes as a result of Obamacare. So the question is, who would be in the firing line this time? At what cost? Look: struggling families shouldn’t have to pick up the tab again for Washington’s inability to live within its means. We need to start solving the actual problem, which is spending, and we need to do it together.”
Tags: U.S. Senate, Sandy Bill, President Obama, nomination, John Kerry,Secretary of State, budget, taxes To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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