Sessions And Ayotte, Joined By All GOP Senators, Press Reid For Action On Stalled Senate Budget

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), the newest member of the Budget Committee, authored a letter signed by all 47 Republican senators pressing Majority Leader Reid for action on the stalled FY2012 Senate budget. Though it requires only 51 votes, Senate Democrats have not passed a budget in 754 days, during which time the nation has accumulated approximately $3.2 trillion in new gross debt. This year, Senate Democrats have not even produced a budget and have prevented the Budget Committee from holding a public meeting to work on one.

After sending the letter, Sessions and Ayotte issued the following statement:

"Last Thursday, Majority Leader Reid said it would be "foolish' to produce a budget. We think the American people would disagree. But the Democrat Majority has sole control over whether the Budget Committee meets. They also control the action on the Senate Floor. The budget process--a process we are required by law to carry out--cannot move forward if Senate Democrats remain unwilling to allow it. We ask the Majority Leader to carefully consider this letter from our esteemed colleagues. It's time to face our fiscal crisis. It's time for the Senate's leader to allow the Senate to do its work. It's time for this body to provide the honest leadership and the honest budget the American people deserve."

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