Morning Bell: Senate Stands Still on Budget Crisis

Mike Brownfield / May 26, 2011

Solving our nation’s fiscal crisis is not up for debate, and politicians should be past the point of using it as fodder for political gain. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the latest from liberals in Congress who are digging in their heels and refusing to recognize the reality of America’s budgetary mess.

Yesterday, the Senate at long last voted on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) FY 2012 “Path to Prosperity” budget, which had previously passed the House. It was defeated 57-40, with no Democrats voting for it. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) also had their budget alternatives defeated, with Toomey’s bill receiving 42 votes. Senate Democrats have yet to even offer an alternative, and, notably, President Barack Obama’s budget failed yesterday by 97-0, a unanimous rebuke of the President’s proposal. Ryan reflected on where Congress now stands:

[Republicans are] the ones who actually put the specifics on the table—$6.2 trillion in savings over the next ten years. We put a budget up — we passed a budget, brought it to the table. Where are we now? It’s been 754 days since the Senate Democrats proposed, let alone, passed a budget. They’re not offering any solutions, putting nothing on the table. (more…)