Kent Conrad: “I understand certain comments were made about the slowness of the appropriations process and the assertion that not…”

“I understand certain comments were made about the slowness of the appropriations process and the assertion that not having a budget resolution pass the floor is the reason for that. I do not think that is supported by the facts. The appropriations process is moving slowly for reasons that have no relationship to a budget resolution or having one or not having one. The fact is, the appropriators agreed to an amount for a budget that was what was recommended in the resolution that went through the Budget Committee. The appropriators agreed unanimously--Democrats and Republicans--to adopt the budget amount for this year that the committee recommended. So there is nothing to prevent appropriations bills from coming to the floor in an orderly process. The appropriators gave to each of the committees an allocation that added up to the amount of money that was provided for in the recommendation by the Budget Committee. So that is not the problem here. No. 2, I think it should be pointed out that we had an opportunity on the floor to pass a budget for this year and got 59 votes. We got 59 votes. Now, it required 60 votes. But we had a bipartisan supermajority in the Senate for a budget amount for this year--not a budget resolution but a budget amount for this year. We fell one vote short of getting that amount approved. Frankly, all of this misses the larger point.…”