House Democrats Fail to Present a Budget

House Democrats Fail to Present a Budget

Freshman Democrats in swing districts went on the record early this year to stress the importance of having a budget. However, due to divisions in the party House Dems are officially balking at a budget.

April 3, 2019
House Democrats Fail to Present a Budget

Freshman Democrats in swing districts went on the record early this year to stress the importance of having a budget. However, due to divisions in the party House Democrats are officially balking at a budget:

After Stressing Need to Present a Budget, House Dems Fail to Get One Done
Washington Free Beacon
By: Brent Scher

The failure is a blow to Democratic lawmakers in swing districts who bashed Republicans for failing to get a budget passed in recent years. Many of the freshman lawmakers, such as Rep. Cindy Axne (D., Iowa), cosponsored a bill that would raise the stakes for failing to come together on a budget.

“Our legislation says if lawmakers can’t agree on a budget, lawmakers don’t get paid,” Axne said of her Shutdown to End All Shutdowns Act. “It’s time to stop punishing everyday Iowans for Washington dysfunction.”

Axne’s legislation was introduced with Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D., Iowa), another freshman lawmaker in a toss up district. Both have also signed on to the No Budget, No Recess Act, which would block members from leaving town without passing a budget.

Finkenauer in her first week as a member said on Twitter, “Don’t tell me what you value—show me your budget,” a quote attributed to former Vice President Joe Biden.

Rep. T.J. Cox (D., Calif.), a freshman member in a vulnerable district, quoted the Biden line as recently as last month in a piece he wrote on the importance of budgets.

“As the old political cliché goes, show me your budget, and I’ll show you your priorities,” Cox wrote in the Fresno Bee. “This new Congress was elected to deliver. That means working across the aisle, and yes, it means negotiating.”

Among the other members in vulnerable districts to cosponsor the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns Act are Reps. Josh Harder (D., Calif.), Gil Cisneros (D., Calif.), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D., Fla.), Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.), Chris Pappas (D., N.H.), , Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.), Angie Craig (D., Minn.), Jeff Van Drew (D., N.J.), Andy Kim (D., N.J.), Tom Malinowski (D., N.J.), Xochitl Torres Small (D., N.M.), Susie Lee (D., Nev.), Max Rose (D., N.Y.), Kendra Horn (D., Okla.), Colin Allred (D., Texas), Ben McAdams (D., Utah), and Abigail Spanberger (D., Va.).

Lee has called a failure to pass a budget “unacceptable.” Brindisi has argued, “If members of Congress can’t do their jobs and pass a budget, they shouldn’t get paid.”

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