Tipsheet

Jeff Sessions Getting Pretty Tired of Democrats' Budget Games

Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, is generally known for his unflappably genial demeanor.  He certainly isn't thought of as an impassioned orator or partisan bombthrower.  But even Sen. Sessions has a breaking point, and his frustration with Senate Democrats over their 2012 budget -- or lack thereof -- boiled over yesterday in a Senate floor stemwinder.  In today's cable news world of overheated shouting heads, this video may seem pretty tame, but it's clear Sessions has had enough of the nonsense and politics, and wants Congress to simply do its job.  It's a fairly long clip, but it's worth the time because it offers a helpful recap on how irresponsible Democrats have been throughout this process.  If you're squeezed for time, watch Sessions' defense of Paul Ryan (starting at 4:20) and his expression of astonishment at the prospect that the Senate fail to pass a federal budget for the second consecutive year (around 7:40).  The Gentleman From Alabama:


From what I've been hearing, Sessions' concerns about another budget punt are now shared by a number of Republican Senators.  It seems the Democratic majority is content to sit on the sidelines and gripe about Republican proposals rather than actively working to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities within a reasonable time frame.  Congress has now gone 744 days without passing a budget.  That's pathetic.