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The Truth Behind The GOP’s ‘1000 Days Without A Budget’ Canard
The Truth Behind The GOP’s ‘1000 Days Without A Budget’ Canard
Brian Beutler
Turn on any cable news channel this week and you’ll very likely hear a top Republican froth in anger over the fact that Senate Democrats haven’t passed a budget in more than 1000 days.
This particular talking point has been around for months — long before the Senate crossed the 1000 days threshold. Now that it’s budget season, Republicans hope it pops, filters up into mainstream news coverage, and sows doubt in the minds of voters who don’t understand the Congressional budget process, and don’t realize how unimportant, and in most crucial respects false, the line is. Alternatively, they hope Senate Dems get spooked and move ahead with a budget document that exposes their differences and leaves them open to political attack — but has no impact on policy whatsoever.
<...>
In the narrowest technical sense, Republicans are right — Senate Democrats haven’t passed a “budget resolution” since 2009...But here are two things Republicans don’t mention about this 1000 days teapot tempest: First, Budget resolutions don’t have the force of law, and they aren’t the legislative tool that mandates what the government can and can not spend. That’s what appropriations bills are for, and for the last 1000 days Democrats and Republicans have worked together, however acrimoniously, to devise spending plans for the government.
Here’s how House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer explained it at a briefing with reporters last week.
“I have a bias. I served for 23 years on the Appropriations Committee. What does the budget do? The budget does one thing and really only one thing. It sets the parameters of spending and discretionary caps. Other than that, the Appropriations Committee is not bound by the Budget Committee’s priorities…. The fact is that you don’t need a budget. We can adopt appropriation bills and we can adopt authorization policies without a budget.”
- more -
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/the-truth-behind-the-gops-1000-days-without-a-budget-canard.php?ref=fpa
Brian Beutler
Turn on any cable news channel this week and you’ll very likely hear a top Republican froth in anger over the fact that Senate Democrats haven’t passed a budget in more than 1000 days.
This particular talking point has been around for months — long before the Senate crossed the 1000 days threshold. Now that it’s budget season, Republicans hope it pops, filters up into mainstream news coverage, and sows doubt in the minds of voters who don’t understand the Congressional budget process, and don’t realize how unimportant, and in most crucial respects false, the line is. Alternatively, they hope Senate Dems get spooked and move ahead with a budget document that exposes their differences and leaves them open to political attack — but has no impact on policy whatsoever.
<...>
In the narrowest technical sense, Republicans are right — Senate Democrats haven’t passed a “budget resolution” since 2009...But here are two things Republicans don’t mention about this 1000 days teapot tempest: First, Budget resolutions don’t have the force of law, and they aren’t the legislative tool that mandates what the government can and can not spend. That’s what appropriations bills are for, and for the last 1000 days Democrats and Republicans have worked together, however acrimoniously, to devise spending plans for the government.
Here’s how House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer explained it at a briefing with reporters last week.
“I have a bias. I served for 23 years on the Appropriations Committee. What does the budget do? The budget does one thing and really only one thing. It sets the parameters of spending and discretionary caps. Other than that, the Appropriations Committee is not bound by the Budget Committee’s priorities…. The fact is that you don’t need a budget. We can adopt appropriation bills and we can adopt authorization policies without a budget.”
- more -
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/the-truth-behind-the-gops-1000-days-without-a-budget-canard.php?ref=fpa
They don't want to pass it because they don't want to debate it in Congress. They don't want to approve the parameters and then have to justify why they didn't approve the Buffet rule or end subsidies for oil companies.
3 replies
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