BREAKING: Democrats' Budget Plan Revealed
FYI, a version of the release below went out to the following incumbent and challenger districts: John Adler (NJ-03); Jason Altmire (PA-04); Michael Arcuri (NY-24); John Barrow (GA-12); Melissa Bean (IL-08); Sanford Bishop (GA-02); Tim Bishop (NY-01); John Boccieri (OH-16); Paula Brooks (OH-12); Leonard Boswell (IA-03); Allen Boyd (FL-02); Rick Boucher (VA-09); John Callahan (PA-15); Dennis Cardoza (CA-18); Russ Carnahan (MO-03); Chris Carney (PA-10); Ben Chandler (KY-06); Travis Childers (MS-01); Gerry Connolly (VA-11); Jim Costa (CA-20); Joe Courtney (CT-02); Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-03); Lincoln Davis (TN-04); Suzan DelBene (WA-08); Joe Donnelly (IN-02); Steve Driehaus (OH-01); Chet Edwards (TX-17); Bill Foster (IL-14); Gabby Giffords (AZ-08); Alan Grayson (FL-08); John Hall (NY-19); Debbie Halvorson (IL-11); Martin Heinrich (NM-01); Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL); Brian Higgins (NY-27); Baron Hill (IN-09); Jim Himes (CT-04); Maurice Hinchey (NY-22); Tim Holden (PA-17); Rush Holt (NJ-12); Steve Israel (NY-02); Steve Kagen (WI-08); Paul Kanjorski (PA-11); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15); Ron Kind (WI-03); Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01); Larry Kissell (NC-08); Ron Klein (FL-22); Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24); Frank Kratovil (MD-01); Rick Larsen (WA-02); Bryan Lentz (PA-07); Dave Loebsack (IA-02); Dan Maffei (NY-25); Betsy Markey (CO-04); Jim Marshall (GA-08); Jim Matheson (UT-02); Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04); Michael McMahon (NY-13); Jerry McNerney (CA-11); Harry Mitchell (AZ-05); Alan Mollohan (WV-01); Chris Murphy (CT-05); Patrick Murphy (PA-08); Scott Murphy (NY-20); Glenn Nye (VA-02); Bill Owens (NY-23); Ed Perlmutter (CO-07); Tom Perriello (VA-05); Gary Peters (MI-09); Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL); Steve Pougnet (CA-45); Nick Rahall (WV-03); Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23); Mike Ross (AR-04); John Salazar (CO-03); Loretta Sanchez (CA-47); Mark Schauer (MI-07); Kurt Schrader (OR-05); Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01); Ike Skelton (MO-04); Zack Space (OH-18); John Spratt (SC-05); Betty Sutton (OH-13); Harry Teague (NM-02); Dina Titus (NV-03); Niki Tsongas (MA-05); Tim Walz (MN-01); Tom White (NE-02); Charlie Wilson (OH-06); David Wu (OR-01) and John Yarmuth (KY-03).
BREAKING: Chet Edwards’ Budget Plan Revealed
Budget Committee Website Finally Goes Live with Dem Budget Proposal
Washington- House Democrats like Chet Edwards have been under heavy criticism for refusing to pass – or even propose – a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. But after weeks of hedging, it looks like Edwards’ party has finally gone public with their budget plans. According to the House Budget Committee’s website, the proposal is actually pretty simple: It’s blank.
http://budget.house.gov/menu_congress.shtml
Facing the prospect of a brutal election year and a deeply fractured party, Chet Edwards and his fellow Democrats have completely punted on their responsibility to pass a budget and lay out a fiscal roadmap, even as the country faces record deficits and unemployment near double digits.
Current Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have both made it clear that Democrats are failing at one of their most fundamental duties as a governing majority:
In 2006, as Democrats were pushing to take control of the House and Republicans were hamstrung by their own budget woes, [Spratt] said: “If you can’t budget, you can’t govern.” (Jonathan Allen, “Budget Looms Over Midterm Elections,” Politico, 5/10/10)
“Boehner dug up an old quote from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) who previously said the ‘most basic responsibility of governing is to pass a budget.’” (Jake Sherman, “John Boehner Slams ‘Inability to Govern,” Politico, 5/13/10)
“Americans have long suspected that Chet Edwards and his fellow Democrats are either unwilling or unable to lead the country out of its looming fiscal crisis,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Now, we have the proof. His own colleagues put it best: Edwards and his party leaders are failing at the job of governing. With deficits exploding and unemployment at nearly ten percent, Texas families are tightening their belts and trimming their budgets while Edwards and his party leaders just can’t stop spending.”
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