No Budget For You!

UPDATE: Others have noticed, too, that the Democrats' refusal to pass a budget is illegal. Isn't there anything that can be done to get the national Democratic Party leadership to at least acknowledge the law's existence — and preferably to obey the law, for once? (end update)

The Budget Act of 1974 was intended to provide some fiscal discipline for the Congress. It was to do this through imposition of a legal requirement that each house of Congress produce a budget proposal not later than April of each year.

That Act has failed.

The Senate is still controlled by the Democrats. And the Senate, controlled by the Democrats, has not produced a budget since Barack Obama was sworn in as President in 2009. Nor does it intend to. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said last week that he would not allow the Senate to take up a budget this year. “We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year,” was what he said. And President Obama has told Harry Reid and the Senate not to worry about it. "No budget, no problem," he's saying. In effect, he's also saying it's OK to flout the law and its requirements.

Now House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer has chimed in, saying "The fact is, you don’t need a budget. We can adopt appropriations bills." Of course, they haven't done that, either.

It should be no surprise that others disagree.

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

It seems to me, with the Senate Democrats abdicating their responsibilities and breaching their legal requirements, the best current proposal is the one that says "no budget, no pay." If they won't do their job, they shouldn't get paid.