Nice try, but destined to fail

[This_person]

The Senate is expected to vote this week on a budget proposal from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would severely curtail federal spending, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The measure would balance the budget within five years. But its spending cuts in future years are so steep that the plan is highly unlikely to pass. The budget needs 50 votes to move forward, but Republicans control only 51 seats, and several center-right members are unlikely to support such strict spending cuts.

Still, holding such a vote is a key priority for Paul, who has railed against Republicans for months for increasing spending once they came to power. He also spoke privately to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about the budget in March, when he threatened to shut down the government for a second time this year over spending increases.

“This budget vote will be a litmus test for Republicans who claim to be conservative, but are only too happy to grow the federal government and increase our debt,” Paul said in an emailed statement.

Wouldn't it be great if we could actually balance our budget?

 

[vraiblonde]

Good that Sen. Paul actually got them to vote on it. Usually Congress will table something where their vote will make them look bad to constituents. Now they will be on record.

 

[This_person]

Good that Sen. Paul actually got them to vote on it. Usually Congress will table something where their vote will make them look bad to constituents. Now they will be on record.

The "no" votes will be because "Rand is trying to cripple our economy" or "Paul is trying to destroy the national security" or "My good friend, the Honorable gentleman from KY, is going to starve our children to death while stopping them from ever learning anything in school and living in frozen trailers without clothing or health-care watching their grandparents die...." you get the drift.

 

[SamSpade]

I'd be satisfied at this point if they would even PASS a budget.

 

[This_person]

I'd be satisfied at this point if they would even PASS a budget.

I'm not sure I'd be "satisfied" by that, but "gratified" maybe.

To be fair, the House DID pass the normal 12 appropriations bills last year, in time to be implemented before the new FY. The Senate did not even address them.

 

[SamSpade]

I'm not sure I'd be "satisfied" by that, but "gratified" maybe.

To be fair, the House DID pass the normal 12 appropriations bills last year, in time to be implemented before the new FY. The Senate did not even address them.

My Dad once told me something I have never been able to corroborate - that the fiscal year has a history of sliding through the calendar, because Congress could never pass a budget on time - until it finally "settled" on the beginning of the fourth quarter. Having been a federal employee since the end of the 80's, I've long been used to the idea of "continuing resolutions" being the rule of the day, and decision-making always delayed until an actual budget is passed. Since the Obama era - they don't even bother to pass one at all.

I have a bad feeling that's the way it will be from now on.

 

[awpitt]

Since the Obama era - they don't even bother to pass one at all.

It didn't start in the Obama era. There have been four times when all 13 required appropriation bills were passed on time for the new fiscal year. 1976, 1988, 1994, & 1996.

 

[SamSpade]

It didn't start in the Obama era. There have been four times when all 13 required appropriation bills were passed on time for the new fiscal year. 1976, 1988, 1994, & 1996.

???

They failed to pass a budget - **AT ALL** - all the other years?

 

[This_person]

It didn't start in the Obama era. There have been four times when all 13 required appropriation bills were passed on time for the new fiscal year. 1976, 1988, 1994, & 1996.

In 2008, Bush rejected the budget proposed and said he would veto it if they passed it. Instead, they waited until the next Congress and the next president. The budget was so loaded with pork that it was sickening. Obama took it and said, "This piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability that the American people have every right to expect and demand."

That didn't happen.

Trump said almost the exact same thing for this year's spending bill. He said things like, "I will never sign a bill like this again" and, “It’s not right and it’s very bad for our country.”

Lather, rinse, repeat.