A Message to the Senate: Stop Pointing Fingers and Do Your Job! #duringthelastbudget

Bankrupting America, a project of Public Notice, has released a new video showing the continued dysfunction in Washington.  The video is a call to action for Americans to get involved by calling their Senator urging them to ‘stop pointing fingers and do their job’.

Congress last passed a budget on April 29, 2009, almost three years ago. Since then, Members of Congress from both parties have failed to work together to perform one of the federal government’s most basic functions.

Bankrupting America is starting a campaign to say ‘Enough is Enough’ and get Congress to do their jobs and pass a budget. Call your Senator at 1-888-760-7997 and tell them to pass a budget.

The Budget Games

Both sides of the aisle have taken turns blaming each other for our nation’s fiscal situation. After years of talk, will we actually see action?

WE’VE HEARD THE RHETORIC; WHERE’S THE RESPONSIBILITY?

• The Last Passed Budget Resolution
• Economic Snapshot
• What They’re Saying

The Last Passed Budget Resolution

The last time Congress completed the budget process was on April 29, 2009.

• The House passed the conference report for the budget on April 29, 2009, by a vote of 233 – 193.
• The Senate passed the conference report for the budget on April 29, 2009, by a vote of 53 – 43.

Economic Snapshot

Today, 5.3 million Americans have spent over 27 weeks looking for work. Additionally, since President Obama took office in 2009, the public debt has increased nearly 45% as of this date, it has increased 47 percent to be exact.  (To be clear, we rounded down to 45 percent in the video.).

What They’re Saying

In both the House and the Senate, key political players have involved themselves in smearing the opposition while the country continues to wait on a long-term plan for fiscal sustainability:

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Sen. Kent Conrad, Chair of the Senate Budget Committee (D-North Dakota)

Brit Hume: We’re now approaching three years since a budget was passed, and you’re about to retire. How do you feel about that?
Conrad: I feel good about retiring; that’s for sure.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)

They didn’t want their fingerprints on a plan. That’s why they didn’t pass a budget the last two years.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware)

The reality is we’re not going to get a budget resolution out of the Senate.

Sen. Kent Conrad, Chair of the Senate Budget Committee (D-North Dakota)

There’s very little chance we’re going to get the two sides together before the election.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)

The leadership in this body won’t even bring up a budget. He said it was foolish.

Sen. Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader (D-Nevada)

House Republicans are going to make another excuse, create another diversion, and avoid another tough choice.

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio)

The Senate’s done nothing. There’ve been no markups over in the Senate. There ain’t even been any effort in the Senate, three years, three years and they’ve failed to move a budget.

Sen. Kent Conrad, Chair of the Senate Budget Committee (D-North Dakota)

What we don’t have is a longer-term plan.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri)

The reason we didn’t get a budget last year is because Mitch McConnell objected.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona)

Senate Democrats now for the third year in a row will not have passed a budget. That’s their job.

Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada)

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We’re not doing our jobs, we’re not doing our business, and the American people are suffering because of it.

BANKRUPTING AMERICA LAUNCHES ONLINE ADVOCACY
CAMPAIGN URGING SENATE TO VOTE ON A BUDGET

ARLINGTON, VA – Bankrupting America, a project of Public Notice, today announced a multipronged online educational advocacy campaign leading up to the three-year anniversary since the last time Congress passed a budget. The campaign includes a web video, online advertising, a Twitter hashtag campaign and a grassroots call to action urging the Senate to pass a budget.

Congress last passed a budget on April 29, 2009, almost three years ago. Since then, Members of Congress from both parties have failed to work together to perform one of the federal government’s most basic functions.

Gretchen Hamel, executive director of Public Notice, issued the following statement announcing the campaign:

“It is unfathomable that Congress continues to spend taxpayer dollars without passing a budget.  Families across America have to plan out budgets to make ends meet and they should expect the same from their elected officials.

“Congress needs to stop pointing fingers and do its job. The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness among taxpayers that their representatives in Washington are failing in their most basic of duties.”

The Twitter hashtag campaign will involve tweets of what was happening in the world when the Senate last passed a budget.  For example: No one had heard of an iPad #duringthelastbudget