Congress Needs to Pass a Budget

Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, media reports indicate that House Democrats will not only not pass a budget, but they won't even try. It's no surprise that they're unwilling to put their blueprint on the House floor, because it would be the clearest sign yet that their reckless spending has put our country's solvency in doubt and endangered our future's generations. But I am only judging them by their own words.

In 2006 then-House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said that passing a budget was the most basic function of government, and I agree. That same year, then-House Budget Committee Ranking Member John Spratt said, if you can't pass a budget, you can't govern. And Speaker Pelosi said in 2002 that failing to pass a budget hurts children.

This means, by their own standard, the standard in which they judge Republicans, Democrats aren't able to govern. House Republicans have said for months that Democrats are unfit to govern based on current policies. Now their own judgements agree with us.

Mr. Speaker, it's time for hope and change and a budget.

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