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Nancy Pelosi Blasts Paul Ryan and John Boehner for Avoiding Budget Conference
Nancy Pelosi blasted Paul Ryan’s cowardly dodge away from the budget reconciliation process in her letter to Speaker John Boehner, demanding that the Speaker appoint conferees for a budget reconciliation conference and follow regular order. This letter comes on the heels of House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s attempt to avoid reconciliation by calling for a pre-conference “framework”, the details of which were as sketchy as his budget.
Joining Pelosi in writing the letter were Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra, and House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Joe Crowley.
The House Democratic leadership charged, “Republican leaders have repeatedly chastised the Senate for failing to approve a budget; now, the Senate has done its part. Republican leaders have called for regular order, demanding we allow Congress to work its will; Democratic leaders agree.”
They point out that the country can’t afford to sit around and wait for Ryan’s pre-conference “framework”, “We cannot afford to wait, as some Republicans have suggested, for a “framework agreement” before we begin talks. That is simply a recipe for further backroom negotiations, conducted behind closed doors, without the input of Members of Congress and out of view of our constituents. We must engage in a full, open, transparent process to produce a solution that best serves the interests and demands of the American people.”
The sequester is already taking a toll on us, especially as we face multiple security threats and disasters. House Democratic leadership points out in their letter, “There is no time to waste. Sequestration is already taking its toll on our investments in our national security, research, health, and economic growth. Congress has already missed the April 15th deadline to deliver a conference report on the budget.”
The leaders went on to state, “Again, our House Republican colleagues have said they want regular order and Democrats do too. Regular order is to name conferees and convene a conference committee now. That is how we can return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement focused on jobs, economic growth, balanced deficit reduction, and a strong, thriving middle class.”
Republicans are no doubt glad that their refusal to step up to the plate is being largely ignored as the nation pivots from tragedy to tragedy. But eventually they’re going to have to pay the piper. It’s time to put up or shut up.
Read the full letter here.
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6 Responses to Nancy Pelosi Blasts Paul Ryan and John Boehner for Avoiding Budget Conference
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Charlie F
Apr. 18th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
All the Republicans want to do is stall everything, whether it’s the budget or jobs bill. They are only interested in pushing their religious agenda and trying to kill Obamacare.
majii
Apr. 18th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Cowards run. That’s what they do. Ryan knows his “budget” is not a budget. He’s seen the analyses of his budget done by a host of economists, and he knows that his budget is a farce. None of the republicans in the House are serious about producing a real budget. If they were, they’d admit that all budgets require revenue. House republicans are afraid to negotiate in conference committee because they know that when more Americans hear what they’re offering, the Ryan budget will be rejected. I would be afraid to negotiate, too, if I knew that the math in my budget doesn’t add up, that it places most of the burden for deficit reduction on the middle class and the poor, that it protects corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and that my cleverly crafted facade of being a “budget guru” would be destroyed by the revelations that would come into the light in a conference committee.
Wild Bill
Apr. 18th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Question- Can’t the President legally charge the senators with obstruction and any other legal charges?
djchefron(Moderator)
Apr. 18th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
No.As sad as it is they do exactly what their paymasters tell them to do.And my friend if you think just because you pay their salaries because you pay taxes they work for you then you haven’t been paying attention.
“We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” Louis D. Brandeis
Gail Anderson
Apr. 18th, 2013 at 8:22 pm
@ Wildbill Can the president charge the senators with obstruction, I wish the hell he could.Ryan has had a budget every other month it seems, He had one when he ran for V.prez. His budget is a DOA and he knows it. All the repukes want to do is stick it to the Middle working class and the poor so they can keep their tax cuts.Ryan is a nothing that has been living off the federal govt. just about his entire life. Started at the age of 16 when his father died went to college on his father’s SS (mother used Pell grants) and has worked for the fed.govt ever since. He doesn’t know what it is like to have a job an due to the father’s business they are very wealthy. He needs to be VOTED THE HELL OUT OF OFFICE for he don’t do his job for the American people. Send him on his way come 2014.
Daniel Berry, NYC
Apr. 19th, 2013 at 7:10 am
I’d be very interested in knowing who the republican leadership is playing to at this point. This makes less and less sense all the time.