Ranking Member Press
Sessions, Grassley Heighten Criticism Of Ninth Circuit’s Lavish Retreat
"While there can be value in judicial conferences, that value is substantially eroded when judges and employees are distracted with extracurricular activities unrelated to the matters of the court. There is no indication that attendees are required to attend even one official event while on the Island… In our initial letter, we requested specific documents pertaining to the total cost of the Conference but were given vague excuses instead… Perhaps not tracking spending is the reaso… Continue Reading
07.13.12
As USDA Nixes Controversial Food Stamp Ads, Sessions Demands Top-Down Review Of Program's Administration
"I have concluded these ads are only the symptom of a wider culture in USDA, apparent throughout their enrollment literature, which seeks maximum registration as the ultimate goal, regardless of need… The evidence is mounting that USDA [is] pushing, even intimidating, people who do not wish to receive assistance, including non-citizen immigrants, into enrolling for benefits they claim they do not need or wish to receive." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the … Continue Reading
07.13.12
Sessions: President Set To Ignore Law By Not Providing Congress With Budget Update
"President Obama indicated recently that the biggest mistake of his first term was not spending more time delivering his message. Respectfully, I think a much bigger mistake was adding $5 trillion to the debt and then producing a budget plan this year that would add another $11 trillion to the debt through 2022. Making matters worse, the law requires the President to submit a budget update to Congress-known as the Mid-Session Review-before July 16th. It appears the deadline will be breached&hell… Continue Reading
07.12.12
Sessions Calls USDA’s Food Stamp Tactics Into Question
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today in response to the continued emergence of reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has undertaken an aggressive outreach campaign to swell the food stamp rolls even when an individual does not need or wish to receive financial assistance: "It has become increasingly clear that, in recent years, the mission of the food stamp program has been converted from targete… Continue Reading
06.28.12
Sessions: Health Law ‘Financially Devastating To Our Republic’; Must Be Repealed
"The health care law is utterly unaffordable-[adding] $17 trillion in unfunded long-term obligations… It is unthinkable our nation would add this new, colossal debt burden at a time when we are already borrowing forty cents out of every dollar we spend. This 2,700-page health law… will be financially devastating to our Republic… If it is not repealed, it will cause Americans' personal health costs-and our nation's debt-to rise disastrously. It will massively expand the power… Continue Reading
06.21.12
Following Farm Bill’s Senate Passage, Sessions Reiterates Need For Welfare Reform
"Under this proposal, food stamp spending will average $77 billion each year for the next ten years. The average in the seven years prior to the recession was $28 billion. Is it the official view of the White House, and the Senate majority, that our economy will experience no improvement for a decade? … "Those supporting these record increases voted down an amendment that would have simply ensured food stamps are provided only to those who meet the program's existing eligibility requirem… Continue Reading
06.19.12
Sessions Comments On Senate Majority’s Rejection Of Modest Reforms To $800 Billion Food Stamp Budget
"Those administering the program seem determined to place the largest number of people possible on welfare support. Is not a better goal to see how many Americans we can help achieve financial independence?" WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued a statement today following votes on two of his food stamp reform amendments: "It is disappointing that the Senate majority rejected modest attempts to reform the single largest growing major … Continue Reading
06.19.12
Sessions, Thune Urge Conrad To Schedule Mark-Up Of Sequestration Transparency Act
"Having information about how the sequester would be implemented, and the specific items of spending that would be reduced, is critical to Congress in evaluating the impact of the sequester. Congress has tried repeatedly to obtain this information from the Office on Management and Budget, and it has not been provided. As a result, this legislation is needed for Congress to do its job with full information." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee… Continue Reading
06.18.12
Sessions, Grassley Criticize ‘Unapologetic’ Response From Ninth Circuit About Maui Judicial Conference
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement today in response to a letter from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals defending the planned million-dollar judicial conference at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in the Hawaiian tropics: "We have received a reply from the Ninth Circuit regarding its fourth planned Hawaii conference … Continue Reading
06.14.12
Sessions Responds To President's False Claim That His Budget Pays Down The Debt
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 comments on the debt: "I was stunned that President Obama said his plan will pay down the national debt. His budget would add $11 trillion to the debt in ten years and was rejected unanimously in the United States Senate. He has refused to call upon his Senate Majority to produce a budget plan for the first time in three years. Most… Continue Reading
06.08.12
Sessions Comments On President’s Economic Address
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after President Obama held a news conference on the state of the economy: "It is astounding that, only days after the Congressional Budget Office issued its chilling debt outlook, President Obama once again failed to seriously address the single greatest threat facing our economy. America's total debt-which is greater than that of the entire Eurozone and UK combined-is … Continue Reading
06.07.12
Unveiling Food Stamp Amendments, Sessions Outlines Moral Case For 21st Century Welfare Reform
"I have filed a modest package of food stamp reforms to the farm bill that will achieve several important goals: Save taxpayer dollars; reduce the deficit; achieve greater accountability in how the program is administered; confront widespread waste; direct food stamps to those truly in need; and help more Americans achieve financial independence… It is time to re-engage the national discussion over how the receipt of welfare benefits can become damaging, not merely to the Treasury but al… Continue Reading
06.06.12
Sessions Writes Conrad Concerning $14 Billion Increase In Senate Allocations Above BCA Levels
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, sent the following letter today to Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad about the outlay levels filed as required by the Budget Control Act. Although that law directs outlay aggregates be set at the CBO March 2012 baseline level, Conrad used figures apparently derived from President Obama's unanimously rejected budget, which will result in $14 billion higher spending and debt in fiscal year 2013. Text of … Continue Reading
05.29.12
Sessions, Issa Press DOI To Stop Stonewalling, Provide Requested Info On Corporate Energy Loans
"It is suggestive and troubling that more than half a year has passed without DOI providing the requested documents and information. Our concern is heightened given the serious nature of the questions raised and the government's pattern of indiscretion in providing government assistance to politically connected green energy companies such as Solyndra." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the Ho… Continue Reading
05.23.12
Thune, Sessions Demand Transparent Plan From Obama Administration For Implementing Sequestration Cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and a member of the Senate Budget Committee, today was joined by Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-AL) in introducing the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012, a bill requiring the Obama Administration to provide Congress with its plan for implementing the required budget sequestration cuts for fiscal year 2013. "The Democrat-led Senate's failure to produce a budget year after year h… Continue Reading
05.22.12
Stunning Discovery: Senate Majority Fixed Discretionary Outlays For FY13 At Obama Budget Level, $14 Billion Above Debt-Deal Agreement
"The outlay levels for the appropriations bills have been inflated by $14 billion to meet the levels in the President's budget… It is unthinkable that we would not only spend more than Congress agreed to, but would institute instead the numbers derived from President Obama's budget which this chamber unanimously rejected… I'm afraid that this is another example of the sleight-of-hand tactics that have been used in Congress for too long. We have Members of Congress that take it as… Continue Reading
05.21.12
Sessions, Grassley: Lavish 9th Circuit Judicial Conference In Maui Could Cost Taxpayers More Than $1 Million
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a letter today to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski concerning a planned judicial conference in Maui, Hawaii. In their letter, the Senators note that the taxpayer-funded conference, scheduled for August 13-16, features opportunities for numerous recreational activities not related to any of… Continue Reading
05.17.12
Sessions: Senate Majority Backs Reid, Supports Leader’s View That Having A Budget Is ‘Foolish’
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after every member of the Democrat Conference voted to reject every budget the Senate considered, including President Obama's: "Today, before the whole nation, the majority party running the Senate effectively declared that as long as they're in charge this country will not have a budget. Their message is simple: Send Washington more money. Don't ask us what we'll do … Continue Reading
05.15.12
Sessions: By Refusing To Offer Budget Plan, Senate Majority Endorses Nation’s Current Dangerous Financial Direction
"The party running the Senate has neither written nor offered a budget plan for our nation's financial future… The budget votes expected this week will once again bring into crystal focus that the party running the Senate is refusing to meet its financial obligations… Through its continued unwillingness to advance a sound plan for the future, the Senate majority is endorsing the unsustainable course we are on now." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the … Continue Reading
04.27.12
Sessions: Exactly Three Years Since Senate Majority Last Adopted A Budget
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today about April 29th, the three-year anniversary of the last time the Democrat-led Senate passed a budget resolution: "This Sunday marks exactly three years since the last time the Senate's Democrat majority adopted a budget. For three years, in the midst of fiscal crisis, the party running the Senate refused to even attempt to produce their financial plan in willful and kn… Continue Reading
