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Steny Hoyer: ‘What Does a Budget Do?‘ The ’Fact Is, You Don‘t Need’ One

Congress does not need an official federal budget because it can simply adopt appropriations bills and authorization policies as needed to keep operating.

Well, that’s what House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) seems to think.

(Related: Jay Carney Has ‘No Opinion’ on Whether Senate Should Pass Budget or Not)

“Mr. Hoyer, around the same time of the State of the Union, I think it was the same day, Republicans were trying to hit Senate Democrats for 1,000 days without passing a budget, and then you talk about this milestone today, 400 days without a jobs bill in the Republican House,” a journalist said to Hoyer during a Capitol Hill briefing.

“But then on Friday [Democratic Senator Harry] Reid said that he didn’t think they needed to bring a budget to the floor this year [and that] the Budget Control Act can serve as a guideline,” the reporter added.

Mr. Hoyer took a moment to respond.

“What does the budget do?” Hoyer asked. “The budget does one thing and really only one thing: It sets the parameters of spending and discretionary caps. Other than that, the Appropriations committee are not bound by the Budget committee’s priorities.”

He continued: “The fact is, you don’t need a budget. We can adopt appropriations bills. We can adopt authorization policies without a budget. We already have an agreed-upon cap on spending.”

Mr. Hoyer then went on to criticize Republicans for not passing a budget for “a number of years,” citing the time they controlled the House, Senate, and the presidency under President George W. Bush.

“So that this 1,000 days they haven’t passed a budget, the Republicans went for equal lengths of time without passing a budget. I think 05’ and 06’,” Hoyer said.

However, contrary to Mr. Hoyer’s claims, this is not true. In fact, he is simply trotting out a very tired talking point.

Back in 2010, when Hoyer was House Majority Leader, he said that “the Republicans didn‘t have a budget in ’02, ‘04, ‘06.” John Boehner (R-OH), at that time the Minority Leader, shot right back at Mr. Hoyer, claiming that “the House has never failed to pass a budget in the modern era.”

According to PolitiFact, this is absolutely true:

According to the Congressional Research Service, the nonpartisan research arm of Congress, the House has indeed passed a budget every year since the Congressional Budget Act first took effect for fiscal year 1976. So if the House does not pass a budget for fiscal year 2011, it will be the first time since the current rules went into force.

However, it should be noted that the House has “not always been joined by the Senate in passing a budget — a factor that explains the difference between what Boehner and Hoyer said.”

Since 1983 — the first year the House and Senate stopped passing two budget resolutions annually and began passing one per year — the two chambers failed to pass a joint budget bill on four occasions. For fiscal year 2003, the Senate, then under Democratic control, failed to pass a budget resolution of any kind, and on three other occasions (fiscal years 1999, 2005 and 2007) the House and Senate failed to reconcile their different bills and pass a compromise measure.

Because Congress always works on the budget resolution for the coming fiscal year, the Republican Congressional majority failed to pass a finished budget in three years: 1998, 2004 and 2006.

What does this mean?

So Boehner is correct that the House has always passed a budget resolution, even though on three occasions, it later failed to work out differences with the Senate and pass a final, identical version, and once the Senate, under Democratic control, had no budget resolution…So we rate Boehner’s statement True.

Which leads us back to Mr. Hoyer’s comments.

Hoyer claims that Congressional Republicans highlighting the fact that the Senate has failed to pass a budget in over 1,000 days is simply an “argument to dissemble and distract the attention on the lack of productive accomplishment in the House of Representatives,” Christopher Goins of CNS News reports.

“Again, I remind you, when we had a Republican president and we controlled the House and the Senate, twice as many bills — more than twice as many bills — were signed by President Bush as has been signed by President Obama,” Hoyer said.

“Why? Because we [congressional Democrats] worked with President Bush,” said Hoyer. “This Republican leadership’s not interested in working with President Obama and that’s unfortunate.”

Again, it would appear that Mr. Hoyer’s comments warrant challenging.

“The House Republicans passed a budget for fiscal year 2012 back in April 2011 – not one House Democrat supported the bill, and only four House Republicans voted against it. The budget bill went nowhere in the Democrat-controlled Senate,” Goins points out.

In fact, the last time the Senate passed a budget was on Apr. 29, 2009.

“The federal government has since been operating on funds approved through a series of continuing resolutions (CR), raises in the debt ceiling, and several appropriations bills,” Goins writes. “The last CR was passed in mid-December 2011, by both the House and Senate, and signed by President Barack Obama.”

That $915-billion deal, compounded with several appropriations measures, will keep the federal government running though the end of fiscal year 2012, on Sept. 30.

“We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year. It’s done, we don’t need to do it,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), said last Friday, referencing the last debt ceiling deal.

“It’s been more than 1,000 days since Senate Democrats have offered a budget plan to the American people,” Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) said in reference to Reid’s remarks.

“Now, once again, the Senate’s ineffectual Democrat majority balks at the task of leadership. … He obviously continues in his belief that it would be politically foolish for his members to go on record in support of any long-term vision. … Budget Control Act spending caps, crafted behind closed doors and rushed to passage at the 11th hour under threat of panic, do not even approach the definition of the budget process that the law requires.”

(H/T: Weasel Zippers)

Comments (158)

  • oldchevyguy
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:58pm

    Steney Whore! What more can I say!

    Report Post »  
    • MYHEROISRON
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:03pm

      Ahh … I always knew Steny was a communist …

      Report Post » MYHEROISRON  
    • TEXASGRANNY73
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:21pm

      We are being played again. They are ramping it up. Why didn’t Fanatic Pelosi tell us this? They are pushing on purpose.

      Report Post »  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:22pm

      You know, I agree with ole’ Steny, why does anyone need a budget?….This is the point I’ve been trying to make to my wife for months, when I tell her that she shouldn’t worry about paying the bills, and go ahead and let me have that new Porshe…..but sadly, the balanced budget concept is firmly entrenched here, and it has denied me the best tool available to live out my mid-life crisis with…….:(

      Report Post » TXPilot  
    • GeorgieJo
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:50pm

      America is dying and Steny Hoyo remains an idiot…..along with Dingy and Peelooski and the Liberal Left progressive moonbats.

      Report Post »  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:00pm

      Porshe = Porsche…..sorry, had to translate it from Texan back to English…:)

      Report Post » TXPilot  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:10pm

      We dont need a budget…Pixie dust and fairies like Barney Frank are enough to keep the Country running! Why would we want to count anything? We can always print more money!!

      If we dont stop Washington control we are all doomed!

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • cuinsong
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:12pm

      In other words they don’t want a budget! They want to spend money on what ever they want as long as they can keep raising the debt limit they are happy! No budget constraints to worry about! We can support any project we deem worthy such as OWS or any union operation necessary to re-elect the king and no one will know where it all went! Just like Nancy P. We have to spend it to know where it went right? Steny Hoyer this is your song called “Their Wrong” http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_12090926

      Report Post » cuinsong  
    • 2theADDLED
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 10:25pm

      Unless they get back to protecting a allocated accounts and stop transferring it to a general account to spend as they please nothing changes.
      Can you say misappropriation of funds ?

      Report Post »  
    • onthefrontline
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 11:15pm

      You cannot get the water to clear up
      Until you get the pigs out of the creek……

      Time to clean the HOUSE, and dump
      this Administration..

      Report Post » onthefrontline  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 11:53pm

      Just The Law.

      The US Constitution states that the President will submit a budget. I think its called the US Constitution. The hammer and sickle Democrat-Commie Party must be driven the hell out of America.

      Report Post »  
    • Maji
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 12:38am

      I agree with “Stempy” !
      When you’re too busy screwing people and have criminal control
      of the gov. and are willing to pimp out your own mom to satisfiy your own
      wants!
      Who needs a budget???

      Report Post »  
    • phil1765
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 3:29am

      Come on Stempy give us one good reason that the republicans should work with the big 0. Would it be so that you and your fellow demoncrats could hurry along the utter destruction of the United States, or just because you say that they should. Enough of the Republicans KNOW that if they don’t get things right we are headed for disaster. You and your socialist,communist,marxist ilk need to just ride off into the sunset with your millions made on the backs of taxpayer, before you really piss we the american people, YOUR BOSSES, decide that we need to actually press charges against you or worse.

      Report Post »  
    • Cat
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 6:11am

      Something stinks here
      Seriously Steny Boy?

      What does Steny Boy know?
      With a statement like this, he’s way more arrogant then usual
      Hummm
      Mandates, more mandates, more control, more Czar appointments
      Smells like 1932 around here
      Me thinks there’s a dictator on the horizon, and Steny wants in …

      Report Post » Cat  
    • Pacman116
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 6:20am

      @TexasPilot

      LOL! good one Pilot. That seems to be the case around our house too….Thank God!!

      Report Post » Pacman116  
    • 2theADDLED
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 7:06am

      With no budget it’s harder to track the money trail.

      Report Post »  
    • jhaydeng
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 7:45am

      unreal

      Report Post »  
    • Bum thrower
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 9:57am

      Stgenny and Pelosi were cong interns back in the 60′s…(statists in taining)….they go way back…and are wll schooled in the lessons of radical anti-americanism..

      Report Post »  
    • its_time_to_arrest_our_government
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 9:52pm

      hey Steny or is that commie how about it aint yo money! its ours that your spending on stupid crap. one of these days we will wake up and jail these idiots. jail them all and start over with all new people. start by handing each and every one a copy of the constitution with the warning violate any part of it no matter how little. weather your bill passes or not you go to jail. if we do this we wont have the problem we have now.

      Report Post »  
    • its_time_to_arrest_our_government
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 9:57pm

      and how about this go over the budget and government dont get paid. everything else does but no part of the gov does. ill bet they are a lot more careful with our money if its their checks being cut off. dont pass a budget dont get paid. its time for us to put the hammer down on government. they work for us its time we laid out a few more rules. and enforced them.

      Report Post »  
    • yodaisright
      Posted on February 10, 2012 at 2:10am

      ya, you tell em’ steny. we don;t need no budget. ya know know what else we don’t need……
      credit cards with spending limits and minimum monthly payments….
      recipes…..or traffic laws…….and i should be able to keep drinking even after i’m passed out drunk!!
      thanks for speaking for us! keep it up sten-old-buddie

      Report Post »  
    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on February 10, 2012 at 10:54am

      .
      “The ’Fact Is, You Don‘t Need’ One”
      What? The Constitution?

      Report Post » Secret Squirrel  
  • Mateytwo Barreett
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:56pm

    Yeah! Steny’s right! No sense in tryiong to figure out how to deal with it! Bankruptcy is the only way, financial, moral, ethical, leadership( had to stop and giggle on that one).

    Report Post » Mateytwo Barreett  
    • onthefrontline
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:28pm

      No Budget, sounds good to me !! just go out and rack up
      a ton of debt..Call Steney and get a Bailout…. Gawd, I hate
      to admit it, but Bill Maher is right, the American People are
      “Stupid” We are responsible for putting these MORONS in
      office….Time to Flush the Toilet…Pelosi first in line…We
      started the job in 2010, November will be time to finish it !!!

      Report Post » onthefrontline  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:55pm

    .
    Ever Balance your Checkbook Steny? You need to send me a check, and make it a big one, Cause I don‘t know how much Stupid cost’s. But if that’s what it takes to lead in this country, I’m gonna need all I can get my hands on, cause I wanna be as Stupid as Obama………..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • SHOWMESTATEGUY
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:48pm

    And people wonder why this nation is in the shape it is. Hoyer and his dem lib comrades wipe their asses with the Constitution of America. Still, a solid 40% of Americans would follow them to hell.

    Report Post »  
  • ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:46pm

    LMAO !!!!!!! Come to think of it I also do not need a budget in my house !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL I wonder how long that would last before they would come and repo all my stuff ????????? This clowns running our country are the bestes in the whole wide world !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • georgepatton
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:44pm

    Hoyer………………… what a putz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • CATSUEY
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:40pm

    Term limits now!!!!!!!

    Report Post » CATSUEY  
  • jackact
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:35pm

    The other side of Nancy Pelosi’s face opines that “we don’t need budgets”.
    Are you listening California home owners and federal income tax payers?
    Ha ha ha ha ha ha……………….

    Report Post »  
    • DD313
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 10:17am

      Is the “other side” the inside as opposed to the botox side?

      Report Post » DD313  
  • LouC57
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:34pm

    U N b e l i e v a b l e.

    Report Post »  
  • spirited
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:24pm

    At least he said what he really thinks.

    >Perhaps Steny can teach all in the 5th District of Maryland how to apply this to their own lives.

    Report Post » spirited  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:40pm

      Perhaps you could go ask him. I’d love to know what he says.

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • spirited
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:46pm

      @13th

      He explained it’s part of that social justice thing:
      If no one has a job, no money , no house, no property…..
      – (except the important people like himself and the president)

      >there’s no need for a budget.

      Report Post » spirited  
  • garyM
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:22pm

    I was a faithful Beck fan for about 2 years and GBTV subscriber for about 6 months until the primary started and I started seeing through the Beck BS. I have tried to expose the schemes of the Blaze and GBTV for really being for Romney now for a couple months. I’ll let someone else take my place, I will not post on the Blaze anymore because I get sick to my stomach just looking at all the BS. All I know is God is control and he says those who seek to deceive people, their folly shall soon be evident to everyone. God Bless all God’s people and I pray the lost people will be truly redeemed by the blood of Jesus and indwelt with the Holy Spirit of Jesus! (saved) Jesus is alive and well, I’m talking about the Jesus who came to earth in human flesh full of grace and truth, not the dream that some nut had who claimed he was appointed an Apostle in America after Jesus plainly said the Bible that His Apostleship ended with the Apostle Paul!

    Report Post »  
    • spirited
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:43pm

      It does seem odd that there wasn‘t any ’Santorum won.’ articles. Perhaps it’s simply because The Blaze is supposed to have unusual info.

      >Then again, this article/ info and video is from CNN.

      Report Post » spirited  
    • TerryDo
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:56pm

      Wow, a “Christian” bigot, who would have thunk!!!!
      Morons believe in Christ and accept Christ as their saviour and they are by definition followers of Christ; also known as Christians.

      CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS:
      Catholics
      Eastern Orthodox
      Protestants — Anglicans, African Initiated, Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Quakers, Charismatic, Pentecostals et.al
      The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
      Jews for Jesus, Messianic Israel Alliance

      They are all followers of Christ, so stop limited Jesus Christ by your limited small zealot congregation.

      Report Post »  
    • TEXASGRANNY73
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:01pm

      @Gary How in the world do you “get” GB is for Romney? Romney will not do an interview as all of the other candidates did. GB has said many times he supported a conservative ie Bachmann and as recently Santorum. You seem rather more concerned about him being a Mormon. Now I would not walk that path myself and please believe I understand what you wrote. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. However I ask myself about who God chose to build an ark and who God chose to lead people out of slavery. If I believe and you read the sentence above then you gotta know I ask myself why would God (maybe) choose this man? How about one who has the will to work and the will to research and the availability to reach an audience? How about one who would wake us to do our own research by teaching us. Is there anyone else who has tried? None that I am aware. Normally I do not like to respond nor do I even like these comment sites—some of them are stacked and I move on. Those I don’t even read. The open ones I do. At any rate what difference the religion as per leadership? Look at what we have in our government now—all sorts and and they got there some way. ALL OF THEM need to go but let us work together to do it.

      Report Post »  
    • TerryDo
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:06pm

      Of course, that should have been typed: MORMONS believe in CHRIST and accept CHRIST as their savior and they are by definition followers of CHRIST; also known as CHRISTIANS………

      “Morons believe in Christ and accept Christ as their saviour and they are by definition followers of Christ; also known as Christians.”

      Report Post »  
  • TheObamanation
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:19pm

    Budgets ? … we don‘t need no stinkin’ budgets

    Report Post » TheObamanation  
    • seeker9
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:04pm

      Or a Constitution, either. They can make it up as we go along. HA

      Report Post » seeker9  
  • rsanchez1
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:19pm

    These fools are asking for it. They’re asking for a Balanced Budget Amendment. We can’t count on this Congress to be accountable for themselves, but hopefully the States will be so repulsed by the crushing size of the government that they’ll call a Constitutional Convention themselves.

    Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:15pm

    My GOD!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:20pm

      And the response is: What does a Steny Hoyer do? The fact is….you don’t need one.

      Report Post »  
  • Sumrknght
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:13pm

    … ok. Why didn’t the Republican party get Tom Coburn (Senator from Oklahoma) to run for President… and have DAVE RAMSEY as Vice President? Ramsey’s official job would be to spend the first year teaching the twits and idiots in Congress what most of us know (Especially if you listen to Dave) If YOU don’t tell your money where to go – you wind up wondering where your money WENT. It’s called “A BUDGET” (smacking forehead with palm). I’m from Nebraska and Senator Coburn just rocks… very adept at tying into government waste! (I grew up with the big Nebraska vs Oklahoma rivalry… but really admire his work!)

    Report Post »  
  • FreeUsAll
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:05pm

    He is undermining the people. He clearly could care less. In his defense, Congress has been inflicting those aforementioned points on us for many years now. I’ve been thinking about nominating a chimp from my local zoo for Congress and, based on my analysis, it would perform better in execution than would most members of Congress.

    Report Post » FreeUsAll  
    • rsanchez1
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:26pm

      At least a chimp understands that no save banana, no get banana later.

      Report Post »  
    • TEXASGRANNY73
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:32pm

      @RSanchez Best line I’ve ever read. Only problem is monkey see monkey do. Does China have bananas?

      Report Post »  
  • SoupSandwich
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:59pm

    His fine state is raising income taxes again, gas taxes too. Most of DC moved into his fine sanctuary state after the attempted regentrification of DC, and have destroyed what real estate values that were left. All over MD you can find 2-3 generations in a single dwelling, lots of non-english speakers, lots of people sharing Social Security numbers, lots of late model vehicles that sit all day- some how. Yeh, if you are a worthless liberal and need to be taken care of, go to MD and pick a spot to squat like all the rest.

    Report Post »  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:04pm

      I was about to say…you know exactly what Hoyer is thinking when he says we don’t need budgets..”tax the rich guy, that’ll fix it”. And if that’s not enough…“tax everyone else” and keep saying “fair share” a lot.

      Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:52pm

    People actually voted for this guy.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:02pm

      That’s what keeps grating at me…someone is actually voting for this b@stard even when faced with the utter contempt for the American people Hoyer keeps offering and has continued to here. We are faced with a debt problem of Olympian (and yes the allusion to Greece and Greek mythology isn’t lost on me) proportions right now and this idiot says we don’t need a budget. Obama and this troupe of democrat chimpanzees continue to play games with our future and some idiot somewhere is still voting for them? I can’t get my mind around that.

      Report Post »  
    • onthefrontline
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 10:00pm

      These Democrats get schooled by Palosi daily…..
      They don’t want US to see what or how they are
      spending OUR tax money..so Bama can give it
      all to the GREENIES…..

      Report Post » onthefrontline  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on February 9, 2012 at 8:16am

      You are not alone AvengerK.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:52pm

    So that means , Everyone in America should go out and open ten or twenty credit cards,, spend all their cash, place loans in your children’s , grandchildren‘s and greatgreatgrandchildren’s names and spend that money. But Barry and the DEMOCRATS go the extra mile and don‘t spend the money but slush it to the DEMOCRAT UNION THUGS who then stash it back to the DEMOCRAT PARTY for Barry’s Screw America Four More Years, relection tour .

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:00pm

      Sure 13th, as long as the bill goes to someone else, like the American taxpayer.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • COFemale
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:04pm

      No we should open credit cards in Democrat Senator’s name, run up the bill, and then fail to pay the bill; leaving them with honor of paying all the outstanding debt, while we reap the benefits.

      Where is anonymous when you need them. LOL

      Report Post » COFemale  
  • TH30PH1LUS
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:52pm

    On the bright side, Steny Hoyer is living proof that ANYONE can get into politics.

    Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
  • MiCurmudgeon
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:48pm

    Stupid is as stupid does.

    Report Post »  
  • momsense
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:46pm

    What sort of logic should yu expect from a Demon butt? They all think that the workers are one giant pocketbook from which they have the right to steal without limitiation.

    Report Post »  
  • MiCurmudgeon
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:45pm

    What a complete display of ignorance!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • byehlik
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:45pm

    You have got to be kidding! What a freaking Joke!

    Report Post » byehlik  
  • joe conservative
    Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:44pm

    You can’t even make this stuff up. No matter what the Obama administration does, there’s something wrong with you for bringing it up. Sure, who needs a budget with a nearly $15 Trillion daollar debt? Wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GEYAbSoYxs

    Report Post » joe conservative  
    • Welcome Black Carter
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:24pm

      Who needs a budget when there is still a stack of checks in the printer…

      Report Post » Welcome Black Carter  
    • changedone
      Posted on February 8, 2012 at 10:24pm

      If it was up to me, I would make sure enough people were in place in the city commission where his family residence of many years is, and take it through eminent domain.

      Report Post »  

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