GOP Wants to Assume a Budget Conference Report Instead of Working with Democrats on a Real Budget Conference Report
Statement
Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued following statement in opposition to a rule that would allow the House to "deem" the Republican budget as enacted instead of working with Congressional Democrats to pass a final budget:
"Today House Republicans will bring to the Rules Committee a resolution to "deem' their budget as enacted -- opting to assume a budget conference report instead of actually working with Congressional Democrats on a real budget conference report. It is bad enough that the GOP is doubling down on a European-style austerity budget that fails to replace the sequester, does nothing to boost job growth, and slashes critical investments that will help our nation compete in a global economy. They are doing so while refusing to follow regular order and appoint budget conferees so we can get a legitimate final budget.
"It has been 72 days since the Senate passed a budget. 181 House Democrats have co-sponsored my resolution calling on Speaker Boehner to immediately appoint conferees, and Senate Democrats have been denied the ability to move the process forward 11 times by their Republican colleagues. Every day that goes by, Congressional Republicans are violating the budget law, which requires the conference committee to report by April 15th. And still the GOP refuses to sit down at the negotiating table and work out a final budget -- so much for "no budget, no pay.'
"That is why I'm offering both my sequester replacement bill and my resolution to immediately appoint budget conferees at the Rules Committee tonight as amendments to the appropriations bills on the floor this week. Unfortunately, if history is any guide, House Republicans will likely reject them again. It's time to replace the sequester, invest in our economy, and reduce our long-term deficit. By refusing to work on a bipartisan basis, Washington Republicans are working against American families and small businesses."
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