By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Senator Jeff Sessions (R) from Alabama responded to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D) from Nevada announcement that the Senate won’t be addressing the budget during this election year. Sen. Sessions is the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee; but the Senate is not even debating the budget this year.
Sen. Session’s said, “It’s been more than 1,000 days since Senate Democrats have offered a budget plan to the American people. Now, once again, the Senate’s ineffectual Democrat majority balks at the task of leadership. Majority Leader Reid is denying the American people the opportunity to become engaged in the debate about the nation’s fiscal future and the difficult choices we face. He obviously continues in his belief that it would be politically foolish for his members to go on record in support of any long-term vision. But by refusing to lay out a budget plan for public examination—a fact no one can deny—the Democrat Senate has forfeited the high privilege to lead this chamber. If Sen. Reid and his members stand by this announcement, it means that the American people will go through yet another year of crisis without Senate Democrats unveiling and standing behind a financial plan for our future.”
Sen. Sessions said, “Budget Control Act spending caps, crafted behind closed doors and rushed to passage at the 11th hour under threat of panic, do not even approach the definition of the budget process that the law requires. They are not in any way or any sense a Senate Democrat budget plan. There is no argument that can be made that these caps are a long-term vision for this country—not on taxes, not on entitlements, not on spending, not on debt. Presumably, this obvious fact is why Chairman Conrad has said he will mark up a budget in our Committee. However, this process will be eviscerated if Sen. Reid refuses to allow a budget resolution to come to the floor.“
Sen. Sessions said, “I will continue to insist that the public process be carried out and that Senate Democrats bring an actual budget resolution to the Senate floor.”
Senate Majority Reid has endorsed raising taxes in recent remarks made earlier in the week. Sen. Reid said, “Tax breaks for the richest Americans piled nearly a trillion on our debt over the last decade.” “Yesterday the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released a report showing those tax cuts will continue to push deficits to unsafe levels.” “Extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans – people making more than $1 million – would add another trillion dollars to the deficit in the next 10 years. We can no longer afford to bankrupt our nation to give more tax breaks to people who don’t need them.”
Sen. Reid appears to be endorsing not renewing the current tax rates for another year. Without action by the Congress, tax rates will increase on January 1, 2013………after the November election but before the new Congress is seated. Most Republicans prefer cutting government spending and reforming entitlements to slow the growth of government over increasing taxing. Without a fix from Congress, taxes as a percentage of the economy will increase from 16.3% of the economy to over 20% according to the Congressional Budget Office.
To see Sessions Press Release
To see Reid’s Statement
