Economics/Trade

Senate Democrats tried to pressure Republicans into allowing budget debate while the Senate continues consideration of the continued spending resolution, which funds the government through the remainder of the fiscal year.

“Republicans have attacked Democrats for the last two years saying we haven’t brought up a budget,” Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said on the Senate floor Tuesday evening. “Based on what I heard from them over the last two years, I thought they wanted this debate too … [but] here we are waiting out the clock.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was blocked Tuesday from starting consideration of the Senate budget resolution.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) blocked Reid’s motion to start the required 50 hours of debate on the budget. Moran also stopped Reid from scheduling a final vote on the continued spending resolution for later Tuesday.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) accused Senate Democrats of dodging entitlement reform in their budget resolution.

“Entitlement reform is not an option, it’s a necessity,” Hatch said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “If these programs are going to be there for future generations they need serious structural reforms.

“So what do the authors of the Senate budget propose we do about it? The answer, unfortunately, is nothing.”

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) suggested Tuesday that instead of working through the weekend, the Senate take up the budget resolution after its two-week recess.

Sessions pointed out that the No Budget, No Pay Act — passed earlier this year — gives the Senate until April 15 to pass a budget before their pay is withheld.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he would file a motion to allow the Senate to start the 50-hour clock on consideration of the budget resolution while it also finishes work on the continued spending resolution that funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year.

“I’m going to very shortly move to begin work on the budget,” Reid said on the Senate floor Tuesday morning. “There is no reason that 30 hours post cloture be wasted. … We shouldn’t waste our time as we’ve done so often, we should start the budget.”

The Senate failed to reach an agreement Monday on further amendments to the continued spending resolution that would prevent a government shut down by funding federal spending through the fiscal year.

Despite some GOP opposition, the Senate voted 63-35 on a motion to end debate on the bill after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said a few senators would not agree to let the bill move forward without votes on their amendments. The vote showed there is enough support for final passage of the bill, expected later this week.

“Everyone has to look at this from way up high and realize how much has been accomplished in a week,” Reid said. “People have requested further changes to the bill and we’ve tried hard.”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday criticized the Senate's version of a continuing spending bill for funding “junk” and prohibiting the U.S. Postal Service from saving money.

“Here we are spending money on this kind of junk — this pork,” McCain said on the Senate floor Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warned senators Monday that if they didn’t complete work on the continued spending resolution to fund to government for the remainder of the fiscal year, that votes on the budget resolution could creep into their Easter recess.

“This will be a very full week,” Reid said on the Senate floor Monday. “Senators should expect several long nights and late votes. And we will stay as long as it takes to complete work on both the continuing resolution and the budget resolution — even if that means working into the weekend and the Easter/Passover recess."

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) asked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack how much money is spent on immigrants using food assistance programs in the United States.

Sessions said the information was important for senators to know as they consider a budget resolution this week.

Whatever else happens this week, President Obama will avoid the potential embarrassment of having few or even zero votes in the House and Senate for his budget proposal.

Last year, Obama's budget plan for 2013 was brought up as an alternative in both the House and Senate, where it was rejected 0-414 and 0-99, respectively. Democrats charged that Republicans brought up Obama's budget as a gimmick, but the absence of a single vote for Obama gave Republicans a year's worth of talking points about how even Democrats can't support Obama's fiscal plan.