GOP senator: Democrats 'failed to govern' on budget

Freshman Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) on Monday was the latest Republican to come to the floor and express frustration at Senate Democrats' lack of a budget proposal for fiscal 2012.

"This is failure to govern at the most basic level and the American people deserve better," Boozman said. "We need a budget that puts us on the path to fiscal discipline."

"We can’t even have an open debate in this chamber about a budget," Boozman argued. "Instead of voting to start the debate on budget measures, last month the majority squashed all the proposals including the president’s own plan."

The senator was referring to a series of failed votes that took place in May on Republican and Democratic budget plans that had almost no chance of reaching the 60-vote hurdle required for most legislation to pass the Senate. A version of President Obama's budget plan, for example, was defeated without garnering a single vote. 

There is currently no budget-related legislation pending before the Senate, and the upper chamber is slated to adjourn Thursday or Friday for a weeklong recess.

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