–In Statement, Republicans Say Dems Should End ‘Budget Blockade’
–Senate GOP Says It’s Been 750 Days Since Senate Dems Passed A Budget
–Senate GOP: Dem Failure To Offer Budget Is ‘Disservice’ To US Public

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – The eleven Republican members of the Senate
Budget Committee Thursday scorched the Democratic majority in the
committee for failing to pass a budget resolution in nearly two years.

In a statement, the Republican members of the committee said the
Democratic failure to pass a comprehensive budget plans is an abdication
of one of the primary responsibilities of governing.

“Democrats campaigned for the majority. They asked for the job. To
shut down the budget process is a deep disservice to the American
electorate,” they said.

The Senate Republicans said it has been 750 days since Democrats in
the Senate have passed a budget.

The Democratic majority in the Senate Budget Committee approved a
budget last year but it was never considered by the full Senate.

“The Democrat Senate refuses to put forward a plan or to even allow
a Senate budget to be presented and debated,” the Republican senators
said, calling this an act of “budget blockade.”

The Senate GOP is stepping up pressure on Democrats in response to
the plans of Senate Majority Leader Harry to set up a vote next week in
the Senate on the fiscal year 2012 budget resolution that was approved
by the House and drafted by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, a
Republican.

Reid has said the Ryan budget is a draconian plan that dismantles
Medicare in its current form. He has all but taunted Senate Republicans
to vote for the Ryan plan.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that if Reid forces
a Senate vote on the Ryan budget he will demand a vote on President
Obama’s budget which has garnered only tepid support from Democrats.

It is unclear if Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad will
offer an FY’12 budget resolution this year.

Conrad has said he wants to offer a plan that cuts the deficit by
about $4 trillion over the next decade. But to pass any plan through the
Senate Budget Committee with only a 12 to 11 Democratic majority, Conrad
must win support of all the Democrats.

Last week, one version of Conrad’s budget was in circulation that
would cut the deficit by about $4 trillion over a decade. It would do so
by raising taxes by about $2 trillion and cutting spending by $1.5
trillion. The additional savings of about $600 billion would come from
reduced interest payments.

Unfortunately for Conrad, several moderate Democrats have offered
only muted praise for Conrad’s plan and stopped well short of supporting
it.

Conrad has also discussed an FY’12 budget alternative that would be
much heavier on spending cuts and lighter on tax hikes. But liberal
Democratic senators indicated they would be unlikely to support that
kind of budget.

Last week, Reid said that he is urging Senate Democrats to withhold
supporting any budget alternative until the fiscal endgame becomes
clearer.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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