[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3324]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               THE BUDGET

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I would like to mark this 1,413th day that 
the Senate has not had a budget. We will be talking a lot about the 
budget this week, as we should, in a debate that has been long overdue.
  Since the Budget and Accounting Act was passed in 1921, no President 
has missed the legal deadline for submitting a budget to Congress. 
Unfortunately, for the fourth time in 5 years, President Obama will 
miss that deadline.
  Given that our gross national debt is already larger than our entire 
economy, and given that we are facing more than $100 trillion in 
unfunded liabilities, one would think the President would make this a 
priority and he would feel a greater sense of urgency about America's 
fiscal dilemma.
  In fact, not only will President Obama be late with his budget this 
year, he will not even be submitting it to the House and the Senate 
until after we have released our own budgets. So the President will not 
have any input whatsoever by submitting his budget--which he should 
have done on February 4--he will not have any input whatsoever on the 
deliberations of the House and Senate as we take up our proposed 
budgets.
  As I say, since the Budget and Accounting Act was passed in 1921, no 
U.S. President has ever done that. The White House has always gone 
first. In fact, the President is the leader of our Nation not only as 
Commander in Chief but also as the one the Constitution looks to in the 
law to bear the responsibility to make at least an initial budget 
proposal. The White House has always gone first, providing a blueprint 
that helped guide negotiations on Capitol Hill, but not under this 
President.
  The budget process is an opportunity for the President to outline his 
priorities. It is an opportunity for the President to tell the American 
people what we can afford and how we are going to pay for it. Above 
all, it is an opportunity for the President to show real leadership on 
issues of national importance.
  As ADM Mike Mullen, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 
said: The greatest national security threat to the United States is our 
budget. What he meant by that is, unless the Federal Government gets 
its fiscal house in order, we are not going to be able to afford even 
the safety net for the most vulnerable of our people, nor are we going 
to be able to afford the national security that helps keep America 
strong and America and its allies safe.
  Unfortunately, the President has failed to demonstrate the required 
leadership in this area. He has also ignored the recommendations of his 
own bipartisan fiscal commission. He submitted two consecutive budget 
proposals that failed to receive a single vote in this Chamber. His 
administration has racked up $6 trillion in new debt since he became 
President, and he created a massive new entitlement funded by a 
trillion-dollar tax increase--something known as ObamaCare. Now he is 
refusing to send us a budget until after the Senate and the House vote 
on their own budget proposals.
  If the President really wants to play a constructive role in the 
budget process, he will send us his proposal right away. Further delays 
will only complicate and hinder our negotiations.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. AYOTTE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. (Mr. Schatz) Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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