Sen. Sessions Blasts Democrats: 'Grow The Economy, Not The Government'

After four years of the Democrat-led Senate failing to produce a budget, the Senate Budget Committee began work Wednesday on a budget at a committee mark-up session.

Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-AL) blasted Senate Democrats for their failure to fulfill the committee’s purpose.

“Is it really possible that after four years, the majority has failed to identify any reforms?” asked Sessions.  “That all we have is just a tax-and-spend budget that makes no alteration to our dangerous debt course? Does the majority believe the government is perfect and requires no reform?”

In many ways, Senate Democrats have simply followed the lead of President Barack Obama, as the president has failed to submit a budget by the legally-required deadline every year of his presidency save one. Still, said Sessions, budgetary inaction is inexcusable at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to stay afloat in the Obama economy.

“Struggling citizens are being hurt every day by the Washington establishment that our colleagues seem determined to shield from accountability,” said Sessions. “We must grow the economy, not the government. I believe we all know this, and so do the American people.”

Sessions said the Senate should follow the House’s lead in working toward a budget that balances in 10 years by holding spending growth to 3.4% each year. 

“Some of my colleagues have asked, “Won’t a reduction in the growth of spending hurt the economy?”  The answer is this: cutting spending will grow the economy.”

The Alabama Republican urged his Budget Committee colleagues to do away with “accounting tricks like phony war savings” and to reject “gimmicks” and empty promises of a so-called “balanced approach” that merely masks mathematical realities. Instead, said Sessions, the Senate should aspire to offer Americans something more.

“Many seem to think compassion is defined by the government sending out more borrowed money. The Obama Administration even awarded a food stamp promoter for overcoming ‘mountain pride’ and getting people to enroll who didn’t want to.” 

Sessions continued, asking: “Isn’t it a better goal to help more Americans find good-paying jobs, to have the pride and self-respect that comes from that? Isn’t this a superior form of compassion that has a more solid moral foundation?”