Republican senators have incessantly decried the lack of a normal spending blueprint. Much of their caucus did so in an especially vivid demonstration on the Senate floor in September, before Congress took a break for the election.
Lately, however, the Republican senators have been citing the Budget Control Act as if it is a budget to block legislation, raising budget "points of order" on measures that spend more than authorized in the Budget Control Act. By Senate rules, such a point of order requires 60 votes to waive, much the same as overcoming a filibuster.
Perhaps the most vigorous adherent of the point-of-order strategy is Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (R-Confederacy), the top Republican on the Budget Committee.
He raised a number of objections Thursday, stymying attempts to pass legislation to extend extra federal backing of large bank transactions.
"We will adhere to the budget agreement that we made with the American people 16 months ago," Sessions said after his point of order succeeded, referring to the Budget Control Act.
"That budget point of order said that the legislation before us violates the budget, it spends too much and that we object," Sessions said.
Republicans are thwarting the Will of The People and are determined to cause President Obama to fail once and for all. They cannot be trusted in negotiations and should not be given one more inch in the US Senate by anyone on our side, especially the cowardly and tepid Mark Udall and Michael Bennet.
