Manchin Calls on President Obama to Lead Continuing Resolution Negotiations
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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today called on President Obama to lead negotiations on a continuing resolution for the remainder of the year. In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Manchin urged President Obama to take the challenge head on, bring both parties together and propose a real, bipartisan compromise that moves our nation forward and establishes the priorities that represent all hardworking families.
Two wildly divergent budget proposals are likely to come to vote in the Senate today. Senator Manchin intends to vote against both a Democratic budget proposal that doesn’t go far enough – with only $6.5 billion in new cuts – and a Republican measure that blindly hacks the budget with no sense of America’s values or priorities with cuts to programs like Head Start.
Excerpts and full remarks below:
“The first is a Democratic proposal that doesn’t go far enough. This proposal, which calls for $6.5 billion in new cuts, utterly ignores our fiscal reality – our nation is badly in debt and spending at absolutely unsustainable and out-of-control levels…We must turn our financial ship around, but the Senate proposal continues to sail forward as if there’s no storm on the horizon.
“Or, we could choose a second, even more flawed measure: a House GOP proposal that blindly hacks the budget with no sense of our priorities or of our values as a country. Now, I didn’t grow up in an America that would carelessly cut Head Start and make the playing field even harder for kids born into poverty. Our America shouldn’t cut funding for veterans, or for border security, or for first responders, or especially for our children – without at least discussing the alternatives.
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“I know it’s not easy. I know that it takes compromise. I know it will be partisan and difficult. I know that everyone will have to give up something and no one will want to relinquish anything. But that is what the American people are demanding.
“Respectfully, I am asking President Obama to take this challenge head on, bring people together and propose a compromise plan for dealing with our nation’s fiscal challenges, both now and for the future.
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“The bottom line is this – the President is the leader of this great nation, and when it comes to an issue of significant national importance, the President must lead. Not the Majority Leader or Speaker, but the President…And I truly believe that he can do it. And when we finally do come together and agree to a bipartisan solution, we will not only set a new tone for our nation, but we can start to focus on what the American people sent all of us here to do: start working together to create a more prosperous future for our children and our families, and be the America we all know we can be.”
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Full remarks – as prepared for delivery:
“Thank you, Madam President. I rise today to express my deep concerns with the two widely divergent proposals for a continuing resolution that will be presented to us here today.
“Now, I may be just a freshman Senator, but I'll be blunt - this whole process does not make a lot of sense to me ... and, I’m afraid it doesn’t make sense to a lot of West Virginians … or most Americans.
“We will likely have votes on two proposals today, and both options are partisan and unrealistic. And neither one will pass.
“The first is a Democratic proposal that doesn’t go far enough. This proposal, which calls for $6.5 billion in new cuts, utterly ignores our fiscal reality – our nation is badly in debt and spending at absolutely unsustainable and out-of-control levels. In February alone, the federal government outspent revenues by an unacceptable $223 billion. We must turn our financial ship around, but the Senate proposal continues to sail forward as if there’s no storm on the horizon.
“Or, we could choose a second, even more flawed measure: a House GOP proposal that blindly hacks the budget with no sense of our priorities or of our values as a country. Now, I didn’t grow up in an America that would carelessly cut Head Start and make the playing field even harder for kids born into poverty. Our America shouldn’t cut funding for veterans, or for border security, or for first responders, or especially for our children – without at least discussing the alternatives.
“The bottom line, however, is this: Democrats and Republicans are being asked to vote on wildly different proposals for reining in spending. Republicans will say Democrats don’t go far enough … Democrats will say Republicans go too far. The truth is both are right, and both proposals will fail. Worse still, everyone in Congress knows they will fail.
“The more important question is this – why are we engaging in this political theater? Why are we voting on partisan proposals that we know will fail, that we all know don’t balance our nation’s priorities with the need to get our fiscal house in order?
“Why are we doing all this when the most powerful person in these negotiations - our President - has failed to lead this debate or offer a serious proposal for spending and cuts that he would be willing to fight for?
“How does that make sense?
“The truth of the matter is that this debate, as important as it is, will not be decided by House Republicans and Senate Democrats negotiating with each other – or past each other. This debate will be decided when the President leads these tough negotiations.
“And, right now – that is not happening.
“I know it’s not easy. I know that it takes compromise. I know it will be partisan and difficult. I know that everyone will have to give up something and no one will want to relinquish anything. But that is what the American people are demanding.
“Respectfully, I am asking President Obama to take this challenge head on, bring people together and propose a compromise plan for dealing with our nation’s fiscal challenges, both now and for the future.
“For me, when I was Governor of the great state of West Virginia, dealing with our state’s problems required bringing together a diverse and strong-willed group of legislators. But I did, because that was my responsibility. By working together, we were able to tackle the tough fiscal problems that our state faced – and we did it while setting our priorities and protecting the most vulnerable in our state.
“The bottom line is this – the President is the leader of this great nation, and when it comes to an issue of significant national importance, the President must lead. Not the Majority Leader or Speaker, but the President.
“He must sit down with leaders of both parties and help hammer out a real bipartisan compromise that moves our nation forward and establishes the priorities that represent our values and all hard-working families.
“And I truly believe that he can do it. And when we finally do come together and agree to a bipartisan solution, we will not only set a new tone for our nation, but we can start to focus on what the American people sent all of us here to do: start working together to create a more prosperous future for our children and our families, and be the America we all know we can be.
“Thank you, Madam President, and I yield the floor.
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