Ayotte: Irresponsible for Senate to Go Third Straight Year Without a Budget
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement today regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) announcement that the Senate will not debate a budget on the floor this year:
"Stopping wasteful spending starts with a responsible budget. Given the serious fiscal crisis we face, it's completely irresponsible for the Majority Leader to go a third straight year without bringing a budget forward. Families and small business owners perform this most basic task, and there's no reason why Congress shouldn't do the same. With more than 1,000 days having passed since the Democrat-controlled Senate last approved a budget, the American people deserve nothing less than a full and open debate on a sustainable spending plan."
Last October, Senator Ayotte and Senator Bed Cardin (D-MD) introduced a bipartisan bill (S. 1681) that would prohibit Congress from considering any legislation unless a budget resolution is passed by the April 15 deadline. April 15 is the date by which Congress is required by law to pass a budget resolution, but has failed to do so for nearly three years.
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