By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
President George W. Bush (R) was in office the last time the United States passed an actual budget.
Throughout President Barack H. Obama’s (D) presidency, neither he nor the Congress have made budgeting a priority. The Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid controlled Congress kept the government running with a series of continuing resolutions (CRs) and the Republicans have followed suit even after taking control of the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014. Even attaching Republican priorities like defunding Planned Parenthood or defunding illegal alien executive amnesty or defunding the Iran nuclear deal have gone undone because the President threatens to veto the CR if anything like that is attached to it forcing a government shutdown and since the GOP does not have the supermajority needed to overrule the President’s veto, both Houses cave to the President’s demands whenever he orders them to pass a CR or raise the debt ceiling. This time was no different. The House again passed the C.R. without any GOP planks as demanded by the President on the last day of the 2015 fiscal year.
On Wednesday, September 30 Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) joined the other Republican members of the Alabama delegation in voting against the latest CR. Rep. Brooks said, “Today I voted against a flawed short-term funding bill that continues irresponsible deficit spending, cuts funding for defense, and fails to defund Planned Parenthood.”
Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) said, “I, along with my Alabama Republican colleagues, voted against a short-term government funding bill earlier this week because it failed to stop federal funding from going to Planned Parenthood. Don’t forget: the House has now passed multiple bills that would eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood, but they are stuck in the Senate.”
Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) said, “This afternoon I cast a No vote to the Continuing Resolution to fund the Federal Government through December 11th because it does not defund Planned Parenthood. I don’t support a government shut down. However, this was simply a vote to do what’s right. Planned Parenthood does not deserve tax dollars.”
Rep. Brooks said, “Continuing resolutions wreak havoc on communities like those that surround Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center because these temporary spending measures provide no funding certainty and prohibit the initiation of new programs. This is no way to conduct business, and I will continue to cast my vote for financially responsible legislation to protect America’s future generations.”
This CR will fund the government until December 11. Will Republicans risk being blamed for a government shutdown months before an election? Based on past history, no they won’t. Given the track record there is little reason for President Obama to negotiate with the GOP when he knows that most of the caucus is afraid of being blamed when parks and monuments are closed and many government workers told not to report to work.
Among the Alabama delegation only Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Selma) voted in favor of the CR. Senator Shelby and Sessions both voted no; but the CR easily passed out of the Senate.
