Economics/Trade

Republicans once again rejected Democrats’ unanimous consent agreement to form a conference committee on the House and Senate budgets on Thursday.

Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said Republicans are holding the budget process “hostage” after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) objected for a fifth time to appointing conferees to work out the massive difference between the House and Senate budget resolutions.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that President Obama’s trip to Austin, Texas, was “a great way to at least look like you’re doing something about job creation."

“Today, the president plans to travel to Austin, Texas. I understand his trip includes a visit to a technical high school and a chat with workers,” McConnell said. “The idea, I presume, is to show folks that the White House has once again ‘pivoted’ to jobs. And if you’re someone who’s all about the visual, then of course putting on a pair of goggles or showing up at a factory is a great way to at least look like you’re doing something about job creation.

“Whether or not that means you’re actually getting the job done — well, that’s a different story.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) tried for the fourth time to get Republicans to agree to go to conference on the House and Senate budgets.

Warner asked for the unanimous consent agreement on Wednesday, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) once again objected unless Democrats agreed to prevent the conference committee from raising the debt ceiling or taxes.

Sen. Warren called the increasing amount of student debt a "quiet but growing crisis."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) used the words of Republicans against them Wednesday, quoting their past calls for regular order.

“For years Republicans have been singing the praises of regular order,” Reid said. “They said how they missed the days of committee markups, how they long for amendment vote-a-rama, and how they pine for a budget resolution … but then Republicans got what they wanted.

The Senate approved a bill, which allows the Mint to move forward with creating a commemorative baseball coin.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent. Last month, the House approved the same measure by voice-vote, meaning the bill now heads to President Obama’s desk for his signature.

“If in fact the Majority Leader slipped and said something he didn’t mean to say … then I invite him to come forward," Lee said.

Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) tried for a third time to get agreement from Republicans to form a conference committee on the House and Senate budget resolutions.

“Senate Republicans have now blocked our efforts to move to conference not once but twice,” Murray said Tuesday before asking for agreement for a third time. “Some say they want a framework before going to conference, but that’s exactly what a budget is. … There is no reason to wait.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Republicans wouldn’t agree to form a conference committee on the budget because they are afraid of a “backlash from the radical Tea Party.” 

“House Republicans are afraid of a backlash from the radical Tea Party … if they even discuss a compromise with us,” Reid said Tuesday morning. “Partisan politics is no reason to shy away from a bipartisan compromise.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that he would again ask Republicans to join Democrats in appointing budget conferees.

Last month, Reid tried to get a unanimous consent agreement to form a budget conference committee so that the House and Senate could resolve the wide differences in their budget resolutions. Republicans objected to his request.