The American Spectator : Sessions Leads Budget Battle

Text Size

Sessions Leads Budget Battle

By Jed Babbin on 5.31.11 @ 6:08AM

The senator who has the do-nothing, denialist Dems cornered.

"A lie can travel halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on," as then British Prime Minister Callaghan said in 1976. Callaghan was, of course, a Labour PM and thus knew first-hand how political falsehoods work. I don't know what kind of boots Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions wears, but he got them on fast enough to enable Senate Republicans to catch up with the Democrats' budgetary misinformation and carry some important truths past them.

A few of Sessions' truths are matters of the calendar and arithmetic: it's been more than 760 days since the Democratic Senate passed a budget. In that time, the Obama gang and its congressional accomplices have spent about $7.1 trillion, our national debt has grown by more than $3.2 trillion, and the legal limit on government borrowing -- $14,294,000,000,000 -- has been reached.

The borrowed money runs out on about August 2. So if the Senate Dems don't pass a budget or don't get enough Republican votes to raise the debt ceiling our government would, the Dems say, default on its obligations and all economic hell would break loose. (That is Dem disinformation, as an April 27 Congressional Research Service report explains.)

Republicans have been consumed in the defense of the House-passed Paul Ryan budget, which would cut government spending by about $4 trillion over the next decade. The Democrats opposed every point in Ryan's plan. The Dems' "Mediscare" disinformation campaign was enough to attract five Senate RINOs to help defeat the Ryan plan in the Senate and win a special election in NY-26. They insist, falsely, that Ryan's plan would convert Medicare into a voucher system.

The Senate Democrats' strategy is delay. Borrowing President Obama's (so far) successful strategy of delaying tough choices (on the budget, Iraq, Afghanistan and just about everything else) until 2013, the Senate Dems have refused to propose a budget or make any serious move to negotiate cost cuts to gain Republican votes on increasing the debt ceiling.

Even the New York Times and the Washington Post condemn the Dems' stalling tactics. In a Sunday editorial, the uber-liberal NYT admitted that the Republicans have a point in demanding that the Dems propose something -- anything -- to deal with the budget: "… if Democrats are ever going to regain the momentum in the national conversation, they have to stand for something." And they do: for increased spending and economically toxic tax hikes.

In its lead editorial (also on Sunday), the solipsistic Post managed to quote itself. Reverting to the wisdom of Bill Clinton, the Post quoted him telling Ryan (after the Democratic upset in the NY-26 special election which was achieved by use of Mediscare disinformation on Ryan's plan) "I told [Democrats] before you got here, I said I'm glad we won this race in New York. But I hope Democrats don't use this as an excuse to do nothing." The Post went on to quote its own November 16, 1996 editorial: "If Democrats play the Mediscare card and win…they will have helped lock in place the enormous financial pressure that they themselves are the first to deplore on so many federal programs, not least the programs for the poor."

Any time the Post criticizes the Democrats' strategy, the Dems are in real trouble. When the Times joins in, the Dems are left with a strategy that resembles the stance of the owners of the Japanese nuclear power plants: in a meltdown they can't understand.

How did the Dems manage to reach such a parlous state? It's the handiwork of Jeff Sessions, actively supported by Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky).

Almost two months ago, Sessions -- ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee -- anticipated the Democrats' stonewalling strategy. In an April 5 presser with Paul Ryan, he began by quoting the co-chairmen of Obama's deficit commission -- Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson -- as saying we now face the most predictable budget crisis in our nation's history. "Therefore," Sessions said, "we have to act." He added that Obama had presented "the most irresponsible budget in the history of this Republic," increasing spending, taxes and debt, and that "the Senate has produced nothing."

Since then Sessions has been patiently building his case. And the Dems have been arrogant enough to feed him ammunition.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), on the eve of the Senate's Memorial Day vacation, told the L.A. Times on Thursday, "There's no need to have a Democratic budget in my opinion. It would be foolish for us to do a budget at this stage."

On that same day Sessions (and rising star Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire) sent Reid a letter signed by 48 Republican senators which said that by failing to produce a budget resolution, the Democratic Senate was defying the clear requirements of the law (the Congressional Budget Act of 1974). It said, in part, "in this time of economic danger, the Senate continues to stonewall any and all action on a FY2012 budget." Citing Reid's statement to the L.A. Times, the letter responded by saying, "We find these remarks shocking, especially given the state of our fiscal affairs."

Sessions won that round, forcing Reid to keep the Senate in pro-forma session during its Memorial Day vacation. That's a big deal, because Obama can't make recess appointments unless the Senate has adjourned. So what will happen when the Senate returns?

Sen. McConnell told me, in a radio interview two weeks ago, that he expects the budget debate to be another exercise in brinksmanship. McConnell has been firm: any budget deal has to include some Medicare fix and won't contain tax hikes.

Page: 1 2 >

About the Author

Jed Babbin served as a Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. He is the author of several bestselling books including Inside the Asylum and In the Words of Our Enemies.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (27) | Leave a comment

olainfree| 5.31.11 @ 6:45AM

What is most irksome is the brazen Debbie Wasserman-Shultz's mischaracterization (flat-out lies) of what the Ryan plan proposes to do to solve the Medicare dilemma. Not one talking head followed up with a question about what the Dem plan is to address the looming bankruptcy of the program. Instead, she is permitted demagogue against the Republicans and spout fright-inducing fabrications.

Does DW-S want to deny the under-55 crowd the same choices in health insurance that she enjoys?

Cosmo| 5.31.11 @ 8:53AM

Sen. Sessions failed to address the 2010 budget.
He voted for the CR for the rest of the fiscal year which was the Democrat budget.
Forget the 10-year projections. They are a scam to avoid facing the problems we have today.
Ryan's Medicare fix does not begin to pay any fiscal benefits for 10 years. What are you guys going to cut this year? How are you going to reduce the $1.7 Trillion deficit this year? No more 10-year pie in the sky....

SpiralArchitect| 5.31.11 @ 1:16PM

There are so many useless & payola style programs the GOV could redesign or discard entirely.

Dept of Edu & the EPA for staarters - I doubt there is any program nor Dept in the Fed GOV that does not have a dark corner where lay the money grabbing econonic black hole.

Pat Spooner| 5.31.11 @ 6:53AM

Every hardworking, tax paying American must write, call and email their federal representatives in Congress with one simple message - cut spending dramatically (back to 2006) levels and permanently fix income tax rates (both personal and corporate rates) at the lowest sustainable levels. The uncertainty associated with each issue (excessive government spending and uncertain and too high tax rates is killing the prospect for economic recovery and job growth.

PCC| 5.31.11 @ 10:20AM

Whatever you think of NJ Governor Chris Christie, his message to the NJ legislature is the same message that must be delivered nationally, to wit, "We don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. The people of NJ (subsitute with U.S.) already send us enough of their hard-earned money. We need to cut government expenditure."

Secondly, we need to make clear that all the governmental expense, short-term and long-term, comes from only one source: the private economy. All of their liberal public spending schemes and dreams are dependent upon a thriving private sector paying the taxes to support them.

It boggles the mind that they don't understand that.

Ore Gone| 5.31.11 @ 1:31PM

I think they understand it and that just leaves one with the conclusion that they are trying to do a power grab when all the dominoes fall. This country as it stands needs to take a good look at the people that would destroy it and make some adjustments.

dee see| 5.31.11 @ 6:58AM

---MEANWHILE, even as nearly 80% of the
American public is calling for an END to the
illegal fractional reserve, privately owned
Federal Reserve

AND AS that 1.4 quadrillion in FAKE derivatives
debt is unmentioned

WHILE U.S. taxpayer funding of the removal
of our economy to RED China is nowhere on
the agenda-------

Melvin| 5.31.11 @ 7:38AM

We can email, we can write, and we can phone our Representatives till the cows come home. It isn't going to amount to a Tinkers Damn worth of difference.
How many of us have corresponded, and all we received is these insipid generic chain mail responses from our esteemed Representatives?
Senator Kay Hagan is queen of the double speak. I have emailed her on specific points of interest and all I received is a generic response from left field.
It is way past the time for writing, emailing, and calling. Half to a million Conservatives show up at the Washington Mall to cut spending, and the response was? "Oh, look at the bible and gun toting Jesus freaks, they're at it again."
Republicans in the leadership arena are not very articulate in getting they're message out to Conservatives. I know it necessarily doesn't help that Conservatives and Country Club Blue Bloods despise each other, but these Republicans tend to address Conservatives as morons.
Republicans tend to get caught in the minutia of building of a complex rat trap to catch the rat, and Conservatives tend to rely on just shooting the rat and calling it a day.
The law is pretty darn simple. A budget has to be done each and every year period. There is no option of postponing it, shoving it off till the next fiscal year, or "Hell, lets skip a year all together."
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi knowingly broke the law, and she needs to be indited as such.

Pecos Pete| 5.31.11 @ 10:05AM

Melvin, I too stopped writing my congress critters as a result of their form-letter responses. Heck, some of the time their responses weren't even about the subject I had written.

Michael Tomlinson| 5.31.11 @ 7:45AM

Not being heavily covered, because he released it over a holiday Democrat Chuck Schumer's response to Paul Ryan's Medicare reform is a scheme to ration health care and deny seniors life saving care by having government bureaucrats fix the price of care for diseases. Democrats want to make all doctors their own little Jack Kevorkian’s.

Smokey| 5.31.11 @ 7:59AM

I believe Mr. Callaghan was quoting Winston Churchill.

Dan Hirsch| 5.31.11 @ 1:02PM

Who may or may not have been quoting Sam Clemens, (aka Mark Twain) who may or may not havew been quoting Fisher Ames whose quote was, "Falsehood travels from Georgia to Maine while truth is putting his boots on." Callaghan should have given attribution, but his failure is not uncommon amongst liberal politicians...

Johnny Reb| 5.31.11 @ 8:52AM

Democrats have already done away with MediCare with the passage of ObamaCare, this fact also must be made to the American public.

hardcard| 5.31.11 @ 11:03AM

stop the bleeding now !!! show some guts for the cuts !!!!!!!

richard ryan| 5.31.11 @ 11:11AM

Problem: any attempt to fix Medicare results in shameless demogaguery by the RATS.
Solution: leave Medicare as an option for retirees. That just might shut them up a bit. Eliminate interstate restrictions to purchasing medical insurance. Let the voucher system unleash the free market/let folks shop around in a true marketplace for the product that best fits their needs.

Within a few years, 2 levels of care for retirees will emerge: timely, quality care for those in the private system. Long waits for care (alaGB and Canada) for those in the Medicare system. I've said it many times before, Americans need the garbage put forth by the democrats DEMONSTRATED to them. Otherwise most in this country are vulnerable to the MSM's nonsense and lies.

Indy| 5.31.11 @ 12:49PM

Not only did the Dems misread Nov 2010, so did the GOP and it started with the Lame Duck capitulation...we, who are avid readers are informed and we are watching, but the majority of the electorate only pay attention to pop culture and sports...folks, we must continue to educate others, including the GOP establishment...they don't get it, not even a simple spending cut to eliminate overlapping programs, I keep calling and writing my reps but I doubt it will have an impact, we must try to minimize the damage and try to elect candidates in 2012 who will have the courage to make difficult decisions. Most of the time I agree with Sessions and Ryan but unless the GOP can deliver a simple message, the nation will pass the point of no return, economic peril is imminent.

Oldefarte| 5.31.11 @ 2:31PM

Some of you have hit the nail on the head concerning emailing etc congresspersons and receiving the form letter in reply. Sessions, Ryan etc are entirely correct but they all play cumbaya politics [translation=nothing gets accompolished]. Medicare does NOT need to be vouchered/limited for younger than 55'ers [its recipients PAID FOR THROUGH PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS their government right/benefit and can only recieve same at 65. What's needed is to eliminate/seriously reduce any/all forms of governmental welfare. The combining/lumping of Medicare and Medicaid is criminal, since the latter recipients DO NOT PAY FOR their benefits [and taxpayers pay for not only Medicaid but Medicare as well], and these welfare recipients can receive Medicaid at any age also. Additionally, the governmental defecit/debt ceiling does not have to be raised, as Treasury can simply pay first/initially the 6% of governmental expendatures that the debt represents, and thereafter prioritize governmental expendatures based upon dire necessity [ie military salaries, Medicare, SS etc]. Thereafter any remain expenses may or may not be paid for, depending upon funds available. Medicare and it corresponding SS can easily be fixed by simply raising the payroll/income limitation for its taxiation to unlimited status [ie if someone makes $300000/year, all of same is taxible for SS/Medicare purposes]. Additionally, wasteful governmental expendatures must be eliminated/cut [ie foreign aid, farm aid, welfare, industry subsidies, space travel/NASA etc]. Thereafter, any/all governmental departments/agencies must be audited and re-elstablished legislatively as to their need to be funded by the government or not [same's expendatures are annually re-budgeted and re-funded without questioning their utility or need]. We taxpayer-voters must simply demand and vote-hold each/every politician accountable to us voter-taxpayers who pay/fund the bills of government. We must stop accepting the political bullexcrement of DC propaganda, and demand governmental spending reductions and defecit/debt eliminations [or we must simply vote the bastards out of office and tell them to GTH]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ティファニー通販| 6.1.11 @ 3:18AM

wow good

Purpleguy| 6.1.11 @ 4:09AM

"The Dems' "Mediscare" disinformation campaign was enough to attract five Senate RINOs to help defeat the Ryan plan in the Senate and win a special election in NY-26. They insist, falsely, that Ryan's plan would convert Medicare into a voucher system." - Call it what you will, voucher, premium support - it is the end of the guaranteed Medicare plan for seniors. Using the fiscal crisis as a wedge, the Republicans see this as an opportunity to KILL MEDICARE - period, end of story.
The Democrats have a plan - the Republicans just don't like it.

Oldefarte| 6.1.11 @ 1:35PM

Yeah, the D's plan is called WELFARECARE, and its the R's who will pay for it!!!!!!!!!

Replica Handabags&wallet;| 6.1.11 @ 4:46AM

The good thing of the internet is that i usually come across with unrelated to my interests posts but at the same time interesting.

Julie Amos| 6.1.11 @ 8:19AM

I respect Sessions , he seems to care , it is too bad he is fighting a party who seeks a debt crisis . The Democrats are empolying the Cloward and Piven strategy of the 70's , overwelming the system . When the crisis arrives we will see a disaster never seen in America.People think we lost a lot of jobs in 2008 , the crisis will cost far more . Those not prepared will be begging for the Government to rescue them with jobs , food and money , then they will truly have us under their control.We will then no longer have a Constitutional -Republic we shall have a totalitarian system. Obama will implement Martial Law and keep us under emergency rule indefinately. He is already preparing for that time.He has set up set of Governors dividing our country into sections , EXECUTIVE ORDERS have been signed to allow NATO forces in the U.S. to control us and the s&&t will hit the fan. Those of us who don't comply will be rounded up.I hope and pray but I feel this fall could be bad for you and I. People should have food reserves , batteries and water stored up.

shipley130| 6.1.11 @ 8:29PM

I find it sad that the Democrats hate America and the US Constitution so much. That little document made America such a great place.

notforsale| 6.3.11 @ 9:05AM

There are a lot of good, articulate posts on here. With that being said - take it too the small town newspapers across the country! Submit letters to the editor stating the details "as you see them". In my home town, the only reason the local paper is read, is due to letters by local citizens. Many times the letters produce responses with opposing views and the editor loves the back and forth banter! (It fills the pages and creates less work for him.) What I like about it is, there appears to be an educational value to an otherwise "head in the sand" attitude.