Debating A Liberal Is Like Beating Your Head Against The Wall Because It Feels So Good When You Stop!

Debating A Liberal Is Like Beating Your Head Against The Wall Because It Feels So Good When You Stop!


The federal budget requires only a majority vote to pass, and its consideration is one of the few actions that cannot be filibustered in the Senate.


By Dell Hill

I’m not sure how I got into the middle of a very heated political debate, but I did...and - as usual - there’s just no convincing Liberals that they don’t know diddly-squat about the federal political process - especially as it relates to federal budgets and the process that is supposed to be followed.

One Liberal participant declared, “I don’t care if you do win the Senate next year, we’re (Democrats) going to filibuster every f...ing budget you put on the floor of the Senate!....and you won’t win 60 seats anyway, so it will never pass”.

As politely as possible (and it’s not easy when you dealing with people who have never spent a minute in Civics classes), I said, “Sorry...but budgets are not subject to any Senate filibuster and it only takes a simple majority of 51 votes (or just 50 if the Vice President is from your party and votes to break the tie).  

Well, that went over like a lead balloon.  And after being told by several Liberals that I didn’t know what I was talking about and “..you’re making all this up”, I decided to set the record straight.  I also invited them to this blog to read it and weep.

Step One: The President's Budget Request

“On or before the first Monday in February, the President submits to Congress a detailed budget request for the coming federal fiscal year, which begins on October 1. (In years where there is a change in administration, the budget is submitted later.) This budget request, developed by the President's Office of Management and Budget (OMB), plays three important roles.  First, it tells Congress what the President recommends for overall federal fiscal policy, as established by three main components: (1) how much money the federal government should spend on public purposes; (2) how much it should take in as tax revenues; and (3) how much of a deficit (or surplus) the federal government should run, which is simply the difference between (1) and (2).  In most years, federal spending exceeds tax revenues and the resulting deficit is financed through borrowing.”

[.]

“After receiving the President's budget request, Congress generally holds hearings to question Administration officials about their requests and then develops its own budget resolution. This work is done by the House and Senate Budget Committees, whose primary function is to draft and enforce the budget resolution. Once the committees are done, their budget resolutions go to the House and Senate floors, where they can be amended (by a majority vote). A House-Senate conference then resolves any differences, and a conference report is passed by both houses.
The budget resolution is a "concurrent" congressional resolution, not an ordinary bill, and therefore does not go to the President for his signature or veto. It also requires only a majority vote to pass, and its consideration is one of the few actions that cannot be filibustered in the Senate.”   (Emphasis Added)

There’s my answer, boys.

But don’t take my word for it.  Contact your Senator’s office and ask him/her.