Floor Speeches

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) on Thursday argued that any agreement to raise the debt ceiling should be accompanied by congressional passage of a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.

Pence's demand could be an indication of the kind of price that Tea Party Republicans will insist on for supporting plans to raise the debt ceiling. The White House and congressional leaders appeared to be inching toward an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, trim Medicare and Social Security spending and close "tax loopholes."

House Democrats on Wednesday night held a short protest against ongoing military actions in Afghanistan in which they briefly delayed consideration of the Defense Department Appropriations Act, and then proceeded to bring up a series of amendments to that bill to defund various aspects of U.S. operations in Afghanistan.

Several Democrats rose to say they oppose the Obama administration's plan to stay in Afghanistan for years longer. Obama recently announced he would withdraw 10,000 troops by the end of this year, and 20,000 more by 2012.

"Frankly I think he made the wrong decision," Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) said of Obama's decision. He also urged members to support defunding Afghanistan operations.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday dared Senate Democrats to immediately hold a vote on their sense of the Senate that taxes should be increased on people earning $1 million or more a year.

"I call for a vote immediately, today," Paul said on the floor. "If Democrats want to raise taxes, let's do it. I'm happy to vote on that today because it's not the answer."

Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Tuesday warned that by not passing its own budget plan, the Senate might be losing its entire reason for existing, as a select few seem to be negotiating a deal in the hopes that the entire body can approve it quickly, with little debate.

"I'm beginning to wonder if the United States Senate is in fact beginning to lose its reason for being," Sessions said on the floor.

Republicans on Thursday effectively shut down the work of the Senate by objecting to a request to have the body consider a resolution authorizing the use of force in Libya and let the Senate Finance Committee take up pending free-trade agreements.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) asked for unanimous consent to allow both of these issues to move forward. But on the trade issue, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) objected, as did Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Libya.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday blamed the growing fiscal crisis on a range of tax breaks to oil companies and others, and said tax breaks to oil companies specifically should be eliminated because they "don't need that money."

"Those monies … they are a loss to the taxpayers and the people of the United States of America, without any reason, because these five oil companies are among the most profitable and lucrative in the history of the world, and they don't need that money," he said on the Senate floor. "It is time to say enough is enough to the kinds of hidden subsidies that go to special interests."

Senate Republicans on Wednesday morning said they would push for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution that they hope will lead to congressional passage this year and allow U.S. states to consider the amendment before the end of the year.

"The American people are demanding that Congress debate and pass a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution," Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said. "They're going to get that debate, and I am confident that if congressmen and senators listen to their constituents, the citizens of this nation are going to have an opportunity to ratify a balanced-budget amendment his year."

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Friday called on members to support a bill limiting funds for Libya operations, and said he is essentially duty-bound to bring the bill to the floor in order to reassert congressional prerogatives over the ability to declare war.

"I support the removal of the Libyan regime," Boehner said. "I support the president's authorities as commander of chief. But when the president chooses to challenge the powers of the Congress, I, as Speaker of this House, will defend the constitutional authority of the legislature."

Members of the House on Friday were already discussing a more serious step to cut off all funding for military operations in Libya, even as they debated two Libya bills that some criticized as too weak.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said on the floor that when the House returns in July, he and Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) will propose an amendment to the Defense Department Appropriations Act that cuts off all funding for Libya operations.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler said Congress must act to rein in the powers of the executive branch with Libya vote.