02.03.21

ICYMI: Graham to Democrats on Budget Resolution: “If You’re Looking for Unity, This is a Lousy Way to Get It”

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, incoming Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) reacted to the Democrats’ budget resolution on the Senate floor.

On Congress and the Administration working together on COVID relief:

  • GRAHAM: “Here’s what I want the American people to know. We’ve done a lot together [already]. And of the $4 trillion we’ve appropriated, to date we’ve spent $2.7 trillion.” 
  • GRAHAM: “Up until now we’ve been able, as a Congress, with the White House, to pass things together regarding COVID. So we’ve passed over $4 trillion of COVID relief in a bipartisan fashion, up until today. Now how was that done? You had a Republican President, President Trump, working with a Democratic-controlled House and a Republican-controlled Senate beginning March of last year…” 

On Democrats laying the groundwork to pass political priorities on a party line vote:

  • GRAHAM: “Now we’re to a point where the Biden Administration is proposing $1.9 trillion of additional spending. We haven’t spent the money we’ve allocated, nowhere near the money we allocated. And you’ve got a bipartisan group of Republicans that went to the White House yesterday and said what about a little over $600 billion and see if that is enough? I am afraid the answer is going to be no.” 
  • GRAHAM: “If you’re looking for unity, this is a lousy way to get it.” 
  • GRAHAM: “Now we find ourselves at a crossroads. Our Democratic colleagues are using a process called budget reconciliation, that begins today, that would allow them to pass the $1.9 trillion [package] basically on a party line vote, a simple majority not reaching the 60-vote milestone.”
  • GRAHAM: “The 60-vote [threshold] was never a problem up until now because Republicans and Democrats were able to work together [on COVID relief] up until now. What changed? They’ve got it all. Everything we told you would happen in the election is coming true.”  

Click here to watch Graham’s full speech

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