Discussion of a federal budget for next year is not on the schedule for the House of Representatives and Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls) is irked about it.
“The Democrats have refused to even present a budget for debate to Congress, nor have they presented any of the appropriation bills which have to be passed through both houses (of Congress) and signed by Sept. 30,” Sensenbrenner said during an appearance at Lannon Village Hall July 7. “This shows they want to avoid tough issues because the budget they would propose would have a pretty big whopping deficit, and they don’t want to be put on record for that.”
Sensenbrenner said that without a budget, he predicted that at the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30), the Democratic majority will pass a continuing resolution to keep the government running until after the Nov. 7 election.
“I think the mother of all lame duck sessions is going to be in the cards where they’re going to have a lame duck Congress pass all the things they couldn’t pass before the election,” Sensenbrenner said.
In other issues:
•Sensenbrenner said the liability of the gulf oil spill belongs to BP for their inability to stop it (a cap was placed on the well last week). Sensenbrenner said the company admitted liability and has paid $20 billion into a fund.
“BP is liable for the leak and liable for the damages, very clearly,” he said.
Sensenbrenner said the US government is responsible for issues of public health and safety. Sensenbrenner cited “ridiculous things” such as an emergency vessel being halted by the Coast Guard for lack of life jackets on board.
“It’s one comedy of errors after another in terms of what the government response was,” he said.
•He chafed at a proposal by the Obama administration to phase out the nation’s manned space program. Sensenbrenner cited testimony by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden before the House Science Committee regarding plans by the administration to “outsource” manned space operations to the Russians.
“There’s no support on the committee — Republicans and Democrats — for what Bolden has suggested,” Sensenbrenner said.
—By Thomas J. McKillen, Managing Editor