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BUDGET FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS,
SO I RISE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF A
SERIOUS DEBATE CONCERNING THE
DIRECTION OF OUR NATION.
THREE YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE
CONGRESS ADOPTED A BINDING
BUDGET RESOLUTION.
IN THIS LIGHT, I RESPECTFULLY
SUBMIT THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT TODAY'S
DEBATE IS SERIOUS.
THEY KNOW THE SENATE IS NOT
GOING TO ADOPT A BUDGET.
AND ONCE AGAIN IGNORE ONE OF THE
MOST BASIC AND IMPORTANT JOBS OF
CONGRESS.
WHAT THE SENATE IS DOING THIS
WEEK COULD BE CONSIDERED
POLITICAL COMITY IF THE STAKES
WEREN'T SO HIGH.
THE FACT IS THAT THIS IS NOT A
SERIOUS DISCUSSION.
IN MAY OF LAST YEAR THE MAJORITY
LEADER STATED THERE IS NO NEED
TO HAVE A DEMOCRATIC BUDGET, IN
MY OPINION.
IT WOULD BE FOOLISH FOR US TO DO
A BUDGET AT THIS STAGE.
AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY OF THIS
YEAR IT WAS STATED BY THE
MAJORITY LEADER THAT THERE IS NO
NEED TO BRING A BUDGET TO THE
FLOOR THIS YEAR.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, THIS WEEK'S
DEBATE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A
POLITICAL SIDESHOW, AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF IT.
EVER WONDER WHY THE APPROVAL
RATING OF CONGRESS IS SO LOW?
THEY HATE WASHINGTON BECAUSE IT
SPENDS ITS TIME ON STUNTS LIKE
THIS INSTEAD OF WORKING TOGETHER
FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY,
PUSHING VOTES FOR CAMPAIGN PRESS
RELEASES INSTEAD OF SOLVING
PROBLEMS.
THE BOTTOM LINE AS IF CONGRESS
DOES NOT DO ITS JOB, THEN ITS
MEMBERS SHOULD NOT GET PAID.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE
PROPOSED WITH A NO BUDGET, NO
PAY ACT.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW THAT IN
AN ELECTION YEAR TOO MANY OF
THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN
WASHINGTON ARE AFRAID OF THE
TOUGH CHOICES THAT WOULD HELP
GET OUR NATION ON A PATH OF
FISCAL SANITY.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WATCHING THE
SO-CALLED BUDGET DEBATE WILL
WITNESS EXACTLY WHAT THEY'VE
COME TO EXPECT FROM WASHINGTON:
REPUBLICANS BLAMING DEMOCRATS,
DEMOCRATS BLAMING REPUBLICANS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY ALL WILL
WILL -- WE'LL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED
IS FILLING ANOTHER PAGE IN THE
"CONGRESSIONAL RECORD."
UNFORTUNATELY, AMERICANS WILL
FACE THE SAME FISCAL DISASTERS
THAT THEY DID BEFORE THIS
DEBATE.
UNLESS WE CHANGE COURSE, FEDERAL
SPENDING PER HOUSEHOLD IS
PROJECTED TO RISE TO $34,602 BY
THE YEAR 2022, A 15% INCREASE IN
ONE DECADE.
THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN ACTUARIES
TELL US THAT MEDICARE IS GOING
BANKRUPT IN TEN YEARS.
SOCIAL SECURITY ONE DECADE
LATER.
BOTH SIDES SHOULD BE WILLING TO
COME TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN AND
PRESERVE THESE PROGRAMS FOR
FUTURE GENERATIONS INSTEAD OF
SIMPLY IGNORING THE PROBLEMS
BECAUSE IT'S INCONVENIENT IN AN
ELECTION YEAR.
OUR NATIONAL DEBT WILL REACH
$16 TRILLION BEFORE THE END OF
THE YEAR, AND THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT'S UNFUNDED
OBLIGATIONS WILL TOTAL SOME
$100 TRILLION.
YET THERE WILL BE NO BUDGET THIS
YEAR, JUST LIKE THERE HAS BEEN
NO BUDGET FOR THE PAST THREE
YEARS.
YOU CANNOT LOOK BEYOND THE
BELTWAY AND SAY THIS FAILURE OF
LEADERSHIP HASN'T HAD TREMENDOUS
IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE WE
REPRESENT.
NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT HAS
REGISTERED ABOVE 8% FOR THE LAST
38 MONTHS.
NEVADA HAS LED THE NATION IN
UNEMPLOYMENT FOR MORE THAN TWO
YEARS.
ALMOST EVERYONE I SPEAK TO IN
NEVADA, BUSINESSES, JOB
CREATORS, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND
FAMILIES SPEAK OF THE
UNCERTAINTY THAT HAS
CHARACTERIZED THEIR LIVES IN
THIS ECONOMY.
WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD AS A
NATION, AND IT'S NO SURPRISE TO
THESE NO-NONSENSE FOLKS.
THEY KNOW FROM EVERYDAY LIFE IN
THEIR BUSINESSES AND IN THEIR
HOUSEHOLDS THAT YOU CAN'T MOVE
FORWARD WITHOUT A PLAN.
WHEN AMERICANS LOOK TO
WASHINGTON, THEY SEE NO
MEANINGFUL PROPOSAL, NO VIABLE
PLAN AND NO PROGRESS.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO CLAIM THAT
THE BUDGET CONTROL ACT IS A
BUDGET, AND I STRONGL DISAGREE.
THIS BILL DOES NOT ESTABLISH
PRIORITIES OR A PATH FORWARD FOR
OUR NATION AS A REAL BUDGET
SHOULD.
IT DOES NOT PROVIDE CERTAINTY
NOR DOES IT ADDRESS MANY OF THE
PRESSING FISCAL PROBLEMS WE HAVE
TODAY.
IF THE BUDGET CONTROL ACT WAS
TRULY A BUDGET, THERE WOULD BE
NO NEED FOR THIS DISCUSSION
TODAY.
IT'S PAST TIME FOR CONGRESS TO
HOLD ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE ADVOCATED MY
NO BUDGET, NO PAY ACT FOR NEARLY
A YEAR.
MY LEGISLATION CALLS ON HOUSE
AND SENATE TO PASS A CONCURRENT
BUDGET RESOLUTION AND THE
REGULAR APPROPRIATION BILL
BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF EACH
FISCAL YEAR.
FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD RESULT IN
A LOSS OF PAY UNTIL WE TAKE OUR
JOB SERIOUSLY AND MAKE THESE
BILLS OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY.
THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT OF
1974 ALREADY REQUIRES CONGRESS
TO PASS A BUDGET BY APRIL 15.
MY BILL CREATES AN ENFORCEMENT
MECHANISM TO FURTHER ENCOURAGE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO DO THEIR
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY.
I HAVE SPOKEN ON THIS FLOOR
PREVIOUSLY ABOUT NO BUDGET AND
NO PAY, BUT I BELIEVE NOW IS THE
TIME TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE ARE
WILLING TO MAKE THIS PROMISE TO
OUR CONSTITUENTS.
I BELIEVE IT'S MORE IMPORTANT
NOW THAN EVER BECAUSE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY
LOSING CONFIDENCE IN CONGRESS
AND THEIR ABILITY TO DELIVER
SOLUTIONS.
NO BUDGET NO PAY IS NOT A SILVER
BULLET SOLUTION TO OUR NATION'S
FISCAL CHALLENGES, BUT IT WOULD
INDICATE THAT WE ARE HEARING THE
CONCERNS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE DIALOGUE NECESSARY TO GET
OUR COUNTRY MOVING AGAIN.
I AM PLEASED THAT TEN OF MY
SENATE COLLEAGUES HAVE
COSPONSORED THIS IMPORTANT
EFFORT AND OTHERS HAVE EXPRESSED
SUPPORT FOR NO BUDGET NO PAY ON
THE SENATE FLOOR.
I AM ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO
SENATORS LIEBERMAN AND COLLINS
FOR HOLDING A HEARING TO
DISCUSSION NO BUDGET NO PAY AS A
MEANINGFUL PROPOSAL THAT WOULD
HELP HOLD CONGRESS ACCOUNTABLE
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THIS BIPARTISAN, BYE CAMERAL --
BICAMERAL PROPOSAL IS WORTHY OF
THE SENATE'S TIME IF WE'RE
SERIOUS ABOUT REGAINING THE
TRUST OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OF
WHOM WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
REPRESENTING.
MY COLLEAGUES, OUR NATION CAN
LITERALLY NO LONGER AFFORD TO
SURVIVE ON SOUND BITES AND PRESS
RELEASES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
BUDGETING.
WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE -- WE NEED
TO ENGAGE IN THE SERIOUS
BUSINESS OF BUDGETING FOR OUR
NATION'S FUTURE.
THAT WORK SHOULD START TODAY,
AND SADLY I SIMPLY DON'T BELIEVE
WE WILL MAKE THE TOUGH CHOICES
NECESSARY UNTIL MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS HAVE MORE SKIN IN THE