Update: The Senate has also passed the Republican budget on a party-line vote of 55-43 (which means two Democrats did vote against the measure). Details from WaPO.
Bipartisanship does exist in DC, but it was not enough to carry the day for the GOP Alternative Budget…here’s reaction from our Virginia Congressman, beginning with the Minority Whip:
“House Republicans were united in the desire to find reasonable solutions for middle class families, focused directly on creating jobs, tax relief, and empowering small businesses to survive and grow. The Republican budget was crafted to help those Americans worried about their jobs, their healthcare, their financial security, and their real fears that Washington is spending and borrowing money that America does not have. Republicans offered a comprehensive budget that provides the American people with the ideas, energy and common-sense solutions they are looking for.”
A breakdown of the vote tonight on the out of the mainstream Democrat Budget that spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much:
233-196
R: 0-176
D: 233-20
From Rep. Randy Forbes:
“My father’s generation knew the importance of fiscal discipline because they knew it would ultimately mean a better future for their children. As a result, they worked hard and often made tough budget decisions. Today, in the face of a weak economy, Washington has a responsibility to act with the same fiscal restraint, yet this year’s proposal is only more frivolous spending. The budget proposal voted on today fails to make tough budget decisions. Instead, it increases spending, resulting in the largest deficit in history that will create more debt in the next ten years than the entire amount of debt accumulated by the federal government from 1789 to today.
“Ultimately, the budget is not just about the dollars – it is about making right decisions on behalf of our nation so that we can leave a better future for our children and grandchildren, and provide them with the same blessings of liberty that previous generations of Americans have known. I am not willing to mortgage that kind of future on a budget that is simply unsustainable.”
From Rep. Rob Wittman:
“In considering this resolution I asked myself, ‘does the family that lost their source of income or saw their pay cut this year get to spend more than they have?’, clearly the answer is ‘no’ and our government should share their restraint when it comes to spending,” said Wittman.
“It deeply concerns me that this budget will be slapping more taxes on small business owners which are the incubators of 70% of our nation’s new jobs at a time when Americans are facing the largest unemployment rates in several decades,” said Wittman.
“Today I supported an alternative budget that would have given priority to national defense and veteran’s healthcare and would have frozen all other funding for five years. We need to get our arms around where our tax dollars are heading and evaluate a balanced, common sense approach to where they should be directed in the days ahead without adding to our massive debt burden,” added Wittman
Wittman on YouTube:
Cantor Floor Speech on YouTube:
Typically, WaPO fails to recognize that Democrats also voted for this bill…from an alert they just sent out:
U.S. House Approves Obama’s Budget
President’s $3.5 trillion spending plan passes on party-line vote, 233-196.
Er…not quite.
