Ranking Member Press
Ranking Member Sessions On Jobs Report: Nearly 5 People Left Workforce For Each 1 Job Added
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the December jobs report: "Today's jobs report underscores a deeper problem facing our economy: a large and growing block of people who are chronically jobless and completely outside the workforce. In December, the economy added only 74,000 jobs - not nearly enough to keep up with population growth -and 347,000 left the workforce. That means for every one job added, near… Continue Reading
01.09.14
Ranking Member Sessions Responds To Obama’s Speech On ‘Promise Zones’
"It represents an admission that five years of tax, spend, borrow, and regulate have produced economic misery for countless Americans." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today in response to President Obama's address on chronic unemployment: "The President today announced five 'promise zones' scattered throughout the entirety of the nation for the millions of chronically unemployed Americans. It represents … Continue Reading
12.18.13
Ranking Member Sessions Comments On Passage Of Ryan-Murray Spending Package
"Majority Leader Reid rushed through this closed-door deal without a single amendment." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement tonight after the Senate voted 64-36 to adopt the Ryan-Murray spending package: "I appreciate the earnest work that went into crafting this proposal and the sincere policy disagreements on both sides. Had amendments been allowed in the Senate, we could have fixed the problematic features … Continue Reading
12.17.13
Sessions Comments On Reid Majority Blocking Amendments To Budget Deal
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement tonight after the Senate voted 46-54 not to table Reid's amendments that 'filled the tree' in order to allow actual amendments to the Ryan-Murray budget deal: "Today, Reid and his majority quashed the ability of any Senator to offeramendments to the spending deal that emerged from the House. They voted to undermine their own ability as Senators to offer amendments and do legi… Continue Reading
12.17.13
As Senate Cuts Off Debate On Spending Deal, Sessions Discovers Military Retiree Provision Worse Than First Thought
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding a provision in the so-called Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that cuts the pensions of disabled military veterans to fuel much larger spending increases elsewhere: "It has been asserted that the controversial change to military retirees' pensions affects those who are 'working-age' and 'still in their working years,' with the clear suggestion being that these in… Continue Reading
12.16.13
Sessions: Point Of Order Loss Would Be A Blow To Minority Rights
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding a provision in the Ryan-Murray spending package that would remove a key protection against future tax-and-spend legislation: "As we near a Senate vote on the spending package that emerged from the House, I remain deeply concerned about a provision in the legislation that undermines the right of Senators to enforce spending limits and block tax increases by rai… Continue Reading
12.12.13
Sessions Confirms Spending Deal Would Strip A Key Protection For Senate Minority Rights
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the provision in the Budget Control Act replacement package that removes a crucial budget point of order in the Senate: "My office has received multiple inquiries as to the effect of the Ryan/Murray deal on Senators' rights to oppose new spending. I regret to say that this bill clearly and unequivocally undermines the ability of the Senate to maintain agreed-u… Continue Reading
12.11.13
Sessions, Senate’s Top GOP Budget Member, Opposes Spending Deal
"A series of concerns, on balance, cause me to be unable to support the legislation produced by Chairman Ryan and Chairman Murray, including: While I favor reorganizing elements of the Budget Control Act to smooth the impact, I do not favor increasing total discretionary spending above what was agreed to over the 10-year BCA period (exchanged for the already-exhausted $2.1 trillion debt increase in 2011). I specifically do not favor using trust fund savings to increase discretionary spending… Continue Reading
11.19.13
Sessions Asks Obamaphone Fund Managers For Info On Program Costs, Expenses
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, today released a letter that he sent to the acting chief executive officer of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which is the organization responsible for managing the Universal Service Fund used to pay for programs such as Obamaphones. An identical letter was also sent to the chairman of USAC's board, Dr. Brian Talbott. The full text of Sessions' letter is below, and a PDF version may be… Continue Reading
11.18.13
Sessions Questions Taxpayer Handouts To Unprofitable Solar Company
"The financial pressures related to a private company's survival should not cause the federal government to modify its policies or place additional taxpayer money at risk… There is concern that SolarCity might become the next Solyndra-a company propped on the back of the taxpayers." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released a letter he sent today to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew regarding tax credits provided to SolarCity, a solar en… Continue Reading
11.13.13
Sessions Issues Remarks On Second Budget Conference Hearing
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following prepared remarks today as the budget conference committee held its second public meeting, at which Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf also testified: "I am once again honored to be joined here today by some of the brightest minds and leaders in Congress. Thank you all and thank you to Director Elmendorf for offering us your expertise. To work together on financia… Continue Reading
10.30.13
HHS Reverses Course, Reissues Obamacare Prison Contract To Same No-Bid Company
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after the Department of Health and Human Services abruptly reversed course and reissued a controversial sole-source contract for a Chicago company to promote the President's health law to individuals in prisons: "I'm disappointed that the cancellation notice posted by HHS did not mean they had actually abandoned their effort to award this unwise project. The Department … Continue Reading
10.30.13
Sessions Delivers Opening Statement At First Budget Conference Meeting
"I am honored to be with this distinguished group. In this room are seated some of the most knowledgeable people in our nation on budget, debt, and economic growth. The purpose of a budget is to develop a financial plan for the future of America. It is not easy and our differences are real and difficult to bridge, but there are actions on which we can agree that will improve the financial standing of America and economic growth. Our colleague, Ron Johnson, is a very successful businessman. As … Continue Reading
10.29.13
Following Sessions’ Inquiry, HHS Quietly Scraps No-Bid Contract For Chicago Company To Promote Obamacare To Prisoners
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services had canceled a no-bid contract to "increase insurance enrollment for… individuals involved in the criminal justice system." The sole-source contract had been awarded to Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, a community advocacy organization based in Chicago, Illinois: "This unjustifiable contract never should have been awarded, … Continue Reading
10.25.13
Sessions Asks Agencies To Provide Data On Costly Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisitions
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released a letter today sent to Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell regarding her agency's procurement of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) in an effort to meet legal mandates and presidential directives. Identical copies of the letter were sent to agency heads at the Departments of the Air Force, Homeland Security, Agriculture, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The full text of Sessions' let… Continue Reading
10.23.13
Sessions Investigates Grant Process, Questionable Use Of Funds At National Humanities Endowment
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released a letter today sent to National Endowment for the Humanities Acting Chairman Carol Watson regarding the grant process at her agency, as well as the expenditure of public funds to distribute books related to Islam to 900 libraries across the country. The full text of Sessions' letter is below, and a PDF version may be found here: "Dear Chairman Watson: The National Endowment for the Humanities (N… Continue Reading
10.22.13
Sessions Comments On September Jobs Report
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding this morning's Bureau of Labor Statistics report that the economy added just 148,000 jobs during the month of September: "Today's jobs report underscores the real problem in today's labor market: growing joblessness among working-age adults despite modest monthly gains in total employment. Nearly 2 million fewer Americans are working today than in 2007. But t… Continue Reading
10.17.13
Sessions Delivers 2nd Address In Series On American Workers, Calls On Both Parties To Reject Special Interests
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, delivered the following speech today as the second in a series of addresses analyzing the state of the American economy: "Last Thursday I delivered the first in a series of speeches looking at the state of our economy. I have directed my staff on the Budget Committee to specifically analyze the conditions facing working Americans so that I could share those findings directly with this chamber. Both part… Continue Reading
10.17.13
Ranking Member Sessions Responds To Secretary Sebelius’ False Claim On Part-Time Work
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today in response to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' claim that there has not been an increase in part-time work: "I was astounded to learn that Secretary Sebelius-a top member of the President's cabinet and the individual tasked with implementing the new health law-would declare on national TV that 'economists, not anecdotal folks, but ec… Continue Reading
10.17.13
Sessions Issues Statement On Yellen Nomination To Chair Federal Reserve
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the selection of Janet Yellen to chair the Federal Reserve and on the need for an era of "humility": "I intend to fairly but rigorously scrutinize this nominee. What we need in the Fed is a policy of humility that recognizes its limitations and the risk of continued easing. The idea that the Fed has the insight to micromanage the economy, taming bubbles with… Continue Reading
