GOP Freshmen Flex Clout in Budget Fight
Republican Freshman Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), whose office organized the event, speaks at the press conference.
Freshman Republicans gathered on the Senate’s steps Monday for the fourth weekday in a row, calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to pass the House Rule 1 (H.R. 1) -- the Republican continuing resolution that would fund government for the rest of the fiscal year -- or any continuing resolution at all.
The Senate needs to pass a continuing resolution that covers the rest of fiscal year 2011, which is already half over. Ten Freshmen Republicans argued during the press conference that the onus is on Senate Democrats to pass a bill which can then be reconciled between the two chambers.
"We're begging, we're pleading with the Senate to pass something... we've got some very serious problems looming in our country. It is irresponsible for us to be caught up in how we fund government in 2011. We're already into the third quarter of this fiscal year. So I admonish our friends across the Capital to take action," said Congressman Steve Womack (R-AR).
H.R. 1, passed by the House on February 19, proposes $61 billion in cuts. House Republicans have rejected a tentative proposal by Senate Democrats to cut spending by $33 billion.
The freshmen emphasized that they had passed a continuing resolution a month and a half ago, and that the Senate has not passed a single bill since the session began. "For forty-four days, Senator Reid has ignored our request to cut spending and pass a bill to fund government, said Rep. Quico Canseco (R-TX).
The ongoing battle for a continuing resolution that would cover the rest of the fiscal year is telling because it is only the first of many much more significant battles that will take place in this Congress, argued Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY).
"This is just the initial exchange. Bigger and larger conversations are going to have to happen to tackle the $1.6 trillion in annual debt we see coming out of this place here in Washington, D.C." said Reed.
Indeed, after Republicans and Democrats come to some eventual agreement on funding the current fiscal year, both sides will have to immediately move to consider the budget for fiscal year 2012.
In this and other coming battles, the freshman class - numbering 87 - hold a disproportionate sway over negotiations and their leadership. Asked about the power freshmen Republicans have already amassed, Rep. Womack said that the cohort was already developing a powerful reputation.
"There is something fundamental about this class that is becoming apparent, I think, to America: that we came here with a sense of dispatch and we came here with the courage to confront the problems that challenge our country," said Womack.
The press conference, the fourth of its kind in the last week to take place on the Senate steps, was organized by Rep. Rick Crawford's (R-AR) office. The other Republican freshmen at the press conference were Reps. Quico Canseco (R-TX), Steve Womack (R-AR), Tom Reed (R-NY), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Tim Griffin (R-AR), Sandra Adams (R-FL), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), and Bill Huizinga (R-MI). Veteran Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), who has been serving since 1993, was also in attendance to promote a balanced budget amendment.
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