October 28, 2021

Democrats Fail to Convince Themselves of Their Agenda

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Budget Committee Republican Leader Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement today as Democrats continue trying to convince themselves of their own agenda:

“For months, Washington Democrats have been engaged in a reconciliation dog and pony show with members of their own party, attempting to convince themselves that their agenda is worth saving. The Democrats’ chaotic deal-making has consisted of backroom negotiations, public bullying tactics, and a substantial number of false claims that a ‘deal’ has been reached. In fact, the public record is littered with them.

“Back in July, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made a big splash when he announced that Senate Democrats had reached a deal on their multi-trillion dollar reconciliation bill.

“Two months later, Leader Schumer announced that ‘the White House, the House and the Senate have reached agreement on a framework that will pay for any final negotiated agreement.’

“The next day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed she would bring the Democrats’ multi-trillion dollar reconciliation bill to the House floor for a vote.

“Less than a week later, Speaker Pelosi insisted ‘we're not trillions apart. There'll be a vote today.’ Only to later pull the vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill due to stalled negotiations on the reconciliation bill.

“Days after that, Leader Schumer triumphantly declared a new October 31st deadline for passing both bills.

“Then, earlier this week, Democrats announced they were inches away from cinching the deal. But in an admirable display of honesty, my Democrat colleague on the House Budget Committee Brendan Boyle told Bloomberg News ‘we are just missing two things. What exactly is going to be in the bill and how we’re going to pay for it. Other than that we are good to go.’

“And finally, just yesterday, Speaker Pelosi called for a hearing today on a bill that does not yet exist.

“If the American people had a dime for every time Washington Democrats claimed victory, folks might actually be able to afford the higher prices fueled by the Biden Administration’s inflation crisis. Democrats have been so preoccupied with looking like they have succeeded in jamming their partisan agenda through Congress, that they have utterly ignored how America is struggling with higher prices at the gas pump and in the check-out line, and how our nation’s southern border is a chaotic humanitarian and national security mess. Every hour Democrats spend on their plan to hike taxes and add to America’s debt is an hour not spent focused on the pressing concerns of the American people.”

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