Congress’ most basic responsibility is to ensure our homeland is secure and American families remain safe from those who wish to do us harm. But Washington Democrats are collectively sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring the coming budget crisis, which would jeopardize that security so many of us rely upon. The reality is, based on Nancy Pelosi’s schedule, the House of Representatives has only 18 legislative days left before the end of the fiscal year in September, when both Chambers of Congress and the President are to have signed into law the legislation needed to keep government functioning and performing those most basic requirements. With no federal budget passed, and no appropriations bills voted on, we are barreling full steam ahead toward a government shutdown.
When things are operating properly, the President would propose a budget early in the year and both the House and Senate would pass a budget resolution by April 15, allowing time for robust debate on our nation’s spending priorities. But because Speaker Pelosi is entirely focused on unrelated spending outside of governments core responsibilities, to fund liberal wish-list items, she has declined to do the hard work of negotiating with the Senate on a budget. As the Republican Leader of the Budget Committee, I’ve been particularly outraged that she hasn’t even allowed us to debate on the House Floor or in committee on what Democrats believe we should be spending.
As we’ve seen over the past six months since Joe Biden took office, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have taken a “go it alone” partisan approach to governing -- putting politics over people when it should be the exact opposite. Instead of prioritizing bipartisan legislation that will put working class families back in the driver’s seat, they’re using their narrow majority to move the country further and further to the left, leaving rural America in the dust. Whether it’s the Biden Bailout Bill that funneled billions of extra dollars to pro-lockdown governors or Joe Biden’s infrastructure boondoggle that seems to fund everything except actual infrastructure, it’s clear that Washington Democrats are entirely focused on increasing Washington control over the lives and livelihoods of American families.
Nancy Pelosi likes to say that a “budget is a statement of your values.” But when you refuse to pass – or even debate – a budget, what does it say about your values? It’s been over 900 days since Washington Democrats took the Speaker’s gavel, and in that time they have never offered an actual budget, and the reason for this delay is simple: they don’t want you to know what their plans are. They don’t want people to see that their priorities are helping to cause the surging crime around the country. They don’t want you to see that they think your tax dollars should fund abortions. They don’t want you to see that they are trying to double the size of the IRS and make sure as many people as possible are audited every year.
And why does the House only have 18 legislative days until the end of the fiscal year? Because Speaker Pelosi is keeping the House in recess for 9 out of 13 weeks in July, August and September combined. It’s ridiculous with so many serious matters to be debated.
We need to get back to work doing the people’s business. It’s time for them to put forth a budget, allow a free and open debate and start the hard process of actually legislating and working with Republicans rather than serving their friends and special interest allies.
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