Congress fails to pass a 2010 budget

In an unprecedented move, Congress will fail to pass a budget for 2010. House Republican Paul Ryan (WI) and House Republican John Boehner (OH) sound off:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/We-need-to-cut-spending-now-96923989.html

With each passing week, fresh warning signs from the markets, government reports, or events overseas underscore the need to tackle our dire fiscal and economic picture. Yet Congress stubbornly refuses to acknowledge this reality, as each week results in a fight over how much further we should expand the deficit and how much deeper should we fall into debt.

The starting point for tackling this challenge is the federal budget. For families, organizations, and businesses alike, a budget sets priorities and forces tough decisions.

Governments are not exempt from the need to budget. Yet, in a stunning abdication of responsibility, leaders in the House of Representatives have failed to even propose a budget -- a feat never before "achieved" since the enactment of the 1974 Budget Act and unacceptable in the face of a looming debt crisis.

The Democrats' budget collapse further erodes confidence in Washington's intent to get federal spending and debt under control -- and creates even greater concern about impending tax increases that will further hinder the private-sector job creation Americans desperately need. Washington's failure to control spending undermines sustainable economic growth and job creation.

Democratic leaders have made the political calculation that it is a better to take a pass than to pass a budget. The president's "new era of responsibility" has hit a new low.

http://gopleader.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=191653