After Demanding Senate Pass A Budget, GOP Refuses To Enter Budget Negotiations
By Travis Waldron on Apr 23, 2013 at 2:30 pm
House Republicans spent most of their time over the last three years reminding Americans that Senate Democrats hadnt passed a budget in two, then three, then four years. It was a regular Republican talking point, a particular favorite of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryans. But now that the Senate has returned to regular order by passing a budget, House Republicans are refusing to come to the table to negotiate a long-term spending plan.
Republicans passed their own budget, the plan Ryan authored, in March, and since the proposal differs from the Senate budget, regular order requires the two chambers to come together in conference to iron out their differences in a compromise budget that is then taken back to the full memberships of each house. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has hinted at forming such a conference for more than a week, but Republicans have shown no willingness to join him. This morning, Senate Republicans blocked Reid from creating a conference committee, a move that led Reid to accuse them of turning a complete 180″:
It seems House Republicans dont want to be seen even discussing the possibility of compromise with the Democrats for fear of a Tea Party revolt, Reid said.
He noted that Republicans have called for regular order for years.
A strange thing happened: House Republicans did a complete 180 they flipped. Theyre no longer interested in regular order even though they preached that for years, Reid said.
full article:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/23/1909271/gop-refuses-budget-conference/