Later this week the U.S. Senate will consider a budget resolution introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) that cuts the size of the federal government in half by 2025 and achieves a balanced budget by 2017. It’s among the boldest plans presented in Congress. Lee’s budget is based on the reforms outlined by The Heritage Foundation in its Saving the American Dream plan. With the Senate nearing a vote on his plan, Lee will visit Heritage for a preview at The Bloggers Briefing today at noon ET. Under the direction … More
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April 29 marks the third year in which the U.S. Senate has not passed a budget — a staggering dereliction of duty, particularly given the country’s near-$16 trillion debt. But that’s not the Senate’s only blockbuster failure under the leadership of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). From spending to jobs to energy policy, the Senate has totally dropped the ball, leaving one to wonder, “What’s the Senate thinking?” But it’s not just a matter of a simple failure or benign neglect, like forgetting to take out the trash. The way … More
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Hats off to the Senate parliamentarian, who apparently has rebuffed the Democratic leadership’s latest excuse for failing to bring a budget to the floor—something the Senate hasn’t done for nearly three years. Since February, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D–NV) and his lieutenants have claimed the Budget Control Act (BCA)—spawn of last year’s debt ceiling agreement—constitutes a budget resolution for fiscal year 2013. “We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year,” Reid contended, citing the BCA’s $1.047 trillion ceiling on annually appropriated spending for fiscal … More
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) decided his political stunt on judicial nominees wasn’t working. He abandoned the plan Wednesday, agreeing to a deal with Republicans to schedule votes for 12 district-court nominees and two circuit-court nominees before May 7. The deal ensures President Obama’s nominees will received an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. That’s exactly what conservatives like Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) had wanted. Lee, still outraged by Obama’s unconstitutional “recess” appointments in January, has vowed to vote against each nominee until Obama rescinds the appointments. Reid, hoping … More
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Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has rightfully earned the reputation of running a do-nothing Senate. More than 1,000 days have elapsed since the upper chamber approved a budget. He’s currently ignoring the House-passed JOBS Act and actively opposing steps to lower gas prices. Now, in a blatant political stunt, Reid is attempting to blame the Republican minority for the Senate’s failure to confirm 17 of President Obama’s district court nominees. “Republicans have refused to allow us to even vote — won’t even allow us to vote — on these qualified judicial nominees,” … More
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The U.S. Senate will consider legislation on Thursday that would prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from forcing religious employers and insurers from being forced to violate their constitutionally-protected beliefs. The so-called “Blunt Amendment,” named for its sponsor, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), seeks to preserve the longstanding conscience protections in the face of HHS’s decision to move forward with a rule that would require religious employers to fully fund contraception for their employees, even if doing so would violate their religious views. The mandate “is only the beginning … More
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U.S. senators last year promised they wouldn’t pass any bill with earmarks during the 112th Congress. President Obama even said he would veto legislation that contained pork-barrel projects. But with the Senate set to debate a transportation bill next week, one lawmakers is crying foul. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) uncovered what he says is a $45 million earmark for the state of Nevada. It appears on page 463 of the bill and rescinds unspent funds from a project in Nevada and directs that money to the state for another use. … More
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Livid at delays in the confirmation process for 90 of the president’s nominations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said on Friday that he would encourage President Obama to make even more unconstitutional non-recess appointments if Republicans did not accede to his demands. “Virtually every one of these nominees could be approved today if the Senate Republicans would cooperate,” Reid exclaimed. “If something doesn’t break here, I am going to recommend to the president he recess appoint all these people, every one of them.” The nominees were not being blocked, … More
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Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced legislation to protect religious organizations from Obamacare’s overreach last summer. Now, as President Obama presses forward with his anti-conscience mandate, Blunt is prepared to keep the pressure on the White House. “This is a genuine assault on First Amendment freedoms,” Blunt said in an exclusive interview with Heritage following a speech here Monday. Obama’s controversial mandate, a result of Obamacare, requires religious institutions to provide for contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization in their health coverage — even if it violates the beliefs of those institutions. … More
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By Jim Harper
The Daily Caller reports that Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is planning another effort at Internet regulation—right on the heels of the SOPA/PIPA debacle. The article seems calculated to insinuate that a follow-on to SOPA/PIPA might slip into cybersecurity legislation the Senate plans to take up. Whether that’s in the works or not, I’ll detail here [...]
The Senate’s SOPA Counterattack?: Cybersecurity the Undoing of Privacy is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
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