Democrats Agree: They Failed “The Most Basic Responsibility of Governing”

Democrats Admit We’re Here Now Because They Failed to Do Their Job Last Year

Some House Democrats are finally taking responsibility for their role in creating the current budget standoff by failing to pass a budget during the last Congress:

FNC’s NEIL CAVUTO: “Do you think it was Democrats who botched it by never getting a budget done last year anyway and that we are in this pickle precisely because of that?”

REP. JASON ALTMIRE (D-PA): “I think that is accurate, yes. We should have passed a budget. We wouldn’t be in this predicament unless we let ourselves get here. It is self-inflicted. But the fact is that’s where we are.” (Remarks from Jason Altmire, Fox News’ “Your World With Cavuto”, 3/31/2011)

REP. NORM DICKS (D-WA): “And I will be the first to admit that it is because we, the Democrats, didn’t pass our bills last year that we are here working on this. … I, personally, feel we have some responsibility here.”(Floor Speech by Norm Dicks, YouTube, 3/1/2011)

DEMOCRATS FAILED TO PASS A BUDGET IN 2010: “House Democrats will not pass a budget blueprint in 2010, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will confirm in a speech on Tuesday.” (Jared Allen, “Dems Won’t Pass Budget in 2010,” The Hill, 5/22/2010)

Democrats failed to pass a budget in 2010 despite one of their leaders previously declaring that passing a budget is “the most basic responsibility of governing”:

HOUSE MINORITY WHIP STENY HOYER (D-MD) IN 2006: “House Republicans are now on the cusp of failing to meet the most basic responsibility of governing – enacting a budget” (Press Release, “Republican Budget Meltdown Continues,” Office of Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, 5/11/2006)

DEFEATED HOUSE BUDGET CHAIRMAN JOHN SPRATT (D-SC) IN 2006: “If you can’t budget, you can’t govern.” (Debra Saunders, “If You Can’t Budget, You Can’t Govern,” Real Clear Politics, 6/22/2010)

The American people see right through Democrats’ budget double-talk. Polling out this past week confirms record public disapproval of Democrats’ handling of spending and budget issues:

GALLUP: 61 PERCENT DISAPPROVE OF OBAMA ON BUDGET DEFICIT; JUST 33 PERCENT APPROVE. (Jeffrey M. Jones, “Obama Still Fares Better on Foreign Than On Domestic Issues,” Gallup, 4/1/2011)

QUINNIPIAC: 64 PERCENT DISAPPROVAL OF OBAMA ON BUDGET DEFICIT, INCLUDING 71 PERCENT OF INDEPENDENTS and 32 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS. (“Obama Gets Lowest Approval, Reelect Score Ever, Quinnipiac National University Survey Finds,” Quinnipiac University, 3/30/2011)

CNN: INDEPENDENTS PREFER GOP APPROACH TO BUDGET 49 PERCENT TO 34 PERCENT. (CNN Opinion Poll Research, 3/28/2011)

DEMOCRAT POLL: 50 PERCENT OF INDEPENDENTS SAY CUTTING SPENDING WILL CREATE JOBS, ONLY 39 PERCENT FAVOR MORE SPENDING. (David Epso, “Analysis: GOP Wins Cuts Without Government Closure,” ABC News, 3/26/2011)