“We have got to get back to the reality of what’s happening every day in Washington, D.C.,” Pelosi said on Friday.
Democrats insist that instead of using the government funding deadline for July 27 as leverage, the Trump administration and members of Congress should come together to come up with a budget deal that doesn’t completely throw a wrench into the economy. They accuse Republicans of holding back on must-pass appropriations bills because they can’t agree on spending policy for the 2020 fiscal year.
Republican leaders would beg to differ. For more than a year, House and Senate leaders have been trying to craft a three-year budget agreement to increase spending levels on military and non-defense appropriations, as well as bridge the gap between what committees have recommended and what negotiators agreed to in last year’s “Byrd Rule.” While congressional leaders continue to argue about the need for a budget agreement, they’ve left their engines idling in the background.
Aye.
“Look, these folks have shown over the last several years, year after year, they want to cause a federal government shutdown and that’s just ridiculous. It’s unnecessary. It’s dangerous,” McConnell said.
No.
“I would expect that we’ll figure this out in the next month,” Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters.
No.
“We’re going to bring up appropriations bills over here. It’s natural for there to be disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on how we fund the government. How it’s funded, to the extent that there are differences, is probably one of the most difficult issues that we deal with in government each year,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Friday.
Yes.
“The sequester is the law of the land. I think most Republicans get it,” Republican Majority Whip Steve Scalise said.
No.
“If you look at the cost of ‘sequester-level spending’ – this $495 billion is the bare minimum that we should be spending on our military. The House passed, again, $606 billion, and the Senate has not acted,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Yes.
“The president told us he was going to work with us for the first time in two years, and I’m sure he’ll continue working with us to address funding issues through appropriations,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
No.
“To pretend that we can go forward and produce a three-year budget while we are in the midst of a very high-speed train wreck in the nation’s capital is baloney,” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said.
Yes.
“What has happened here is a young man is visiting his parents and this is a terrible tragedy, but that’s something that has nothing to do with our budget,” Paul Ryan said.
No.
“We’re all grown ups, we know how to do our job. This is only a dispute about the budget,” McConnell added.
“The president doesn’t want to negotiate spending while he’s negotiating with Democrats to shutdown the government,” Ryan said.
No.
“Cohort Budgeting is one of my favorite political tactics,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
“This summer the House and Senate are moving individual appropriations bills. Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been urging both chambers to finish the appropriations process as quickly as possible,” Portman said.