Byrne, Constituents Frustrated By Senate’s Inaction

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1) today implored the Senate and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to take action on hundreds of House-passed bills that are stalled in the United States Senate.

During a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, Congressman Byrne pointed out that 300 bills are stuck in the Senate, including at least 40 pro-jobs bills. Byrne urged the “do-nothing Senate” to take action on behalf of the American people.

Congressman Byrne drew attention to the fact that the Senate’s inaction is setting the stage for unnecessary government funding drama. The House has passed seven appropriations funding bills compared to zero funding bills passed in the Senate. Each of the twelve funding bills, or a continuing resolution, must be passed by the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Obama before the fiscal year ends on September 30.

A transcript of Congressman Byrne’s remarks are below. Broadcast quality video can be downloaded here.

Byrne said: “Mr. Speaker, I have been in this House now for six months, and I regrettable rise today to express my frustration, and I know the frustration of thousands of people in Southwest Alabama, and I believe people all over the United States of America.

“People are tired of the stagnation coming from Washington. Just look at the disapproval rating of this Congress and the disapproval rating of our President. The people of this country want to see action.

“Action on growing the economy. Action on cutting spending. Action on healthcare. Action on immigration. Action on the crisis at the VA. Action on foreign policy. They want to see action.

“Just earlier this week I was at the White House for a bill signing ceremony of the Workforce Investment Act, or the SKILLS Act as we called it in the House.

“The SKILLS Act was a great example of Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate coming together behind a common goal of improving our nation’s workforce training programs.

“During the bill signing ceremony the President implored us to send more bipartisan, job creating bills his way.

“The problem is the President doesn’t need to lecture this House on that, the President needs to look no further than the Majority Leader in the Senate, the gentleman from Nevada.

“In the House we have passed nearly 300 bills which are sitting in the Senate waiting for action, and at least 40 of those are job creating bills.

“We have continued to do the people’s work, making our way through 7 of the appropriation bills that we are required by the Constitution to pass to fund the government.

“The Senate hasn’t completed a single one.

“Now some may say the issue is that Republican Senators demanded to have amendments considered.

“I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

“Here in the House we have considered at least 180 minority amendments to appropriations bills alone.

“One of my colleagues in the House from the other side of the aisle was quoted in an article saying that she wanted ‘to thank the Republicans for their generosity… I’m just grateful for the bipartisanship here.’

“That’s not the same message coming out of the do-nothing Senate.

“One Democratic Senator was quoted as saying that he has ‘a hard time getting on the train in the morning.’

“Former Senate leaders Tom Daschle and Trent Lott have said the Senate ‘has degenerated into a polarized mess.’

“Now this probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to us because yet again this year the Senate failed to even pass a budget.

“I was just elected this past December, and prior to that I was in the Alabama State Senate. In Alabama, as in most states, our legislature is required to pass a budget and the appropriations bills every year on time and balanced. Each year the Alabama legislature does that. And you’re telling me the United States Senate can’t do that, the greatest debating body ever known to the world.

“We have seen this song and dance before and most of us now know how it is going to end.

“At some point, sooner rather than later, the House will be forced to consider a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown.

“The Senate can prevent this, by following the House in regular order, doing the people’s work, making the hard decisions, and advancing individual appropriations bills, as we have done in the House.

“That’s how government is supposed to work and that’s the only way we are going to be able to make serious reforms to spending programs.

“I’ve come to this body a number of times to offer amendments to pending bills that would have cut spending, and I am going to keep pushing for these types of strategic spending reductions.

“But when the Senate refuses to do their part, it makes this process impossible.

“The Senate’s inaction is going to force those of us in the House to make an unfair choice. I ask them to act differently for the people of this country so we can get things done.”