Oversight
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
12.16.13
Section-By-Section Analysis Of The Bipartisan Budget Act Of 2013
The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2013 would increase the discretionary spending caps established by the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA) by $45 billion in 2014 and $18 billion in 2015. The $63 billion in higher spending is not offset over the BCA window of 2014-2021; during that period, the legislation increases spending by almost $25 billion, as 53% of the offsets in the BBA realized during the BCA window come from higher fees and revenues. Additionally, $47 billion of the BBA's $85 billion offs… 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
10.23.13
U.S. Has Spent $3.7 Trillion On Welfare Over Past 5 Years
We have just concluded the 5th fiscal year since President Obama took office. During those five years, the federal government has spent a total $3.7 trillion on approximately 80 different means-tested poverty and welfare programs. The common feature of means-tested assistance programs is that they are graduated based on a person's income and, in contrast to programs like Social Security or Medicare, they are a free benefit and not paid into by the recipient. The enormous sum spent on means-test… 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
10.17.13
Sessions Issues Statement After Voting Against Debt Hike, Spending Bill
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement tonight after voting against legislation to increase the debt limit and to adopt a "continuing resolution" without reforms: "In the last five years, Washington spent more than $15 trillion and added more than $6 trillion to the debt. Never has so great a sum been spent for so little in return. Despite this huge stimulus spending, wages are lower than in 1999 and nearly 60 mil… Continue Reading
09.26.13
Sessions Catalogs Destructive Impacts Of Obamacare
"The President's health care law will worsen, not improve, our fiscal outlook. It's hurting our economy, it's harming millions of Americans, and it's growing the size and scope of government. Congress must permanently repeal this unworkable law." WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, delivered the following speech on the Senate floor today to highlight some of the many pervasive problems with President Obama's health law: "Mr. President, I r… Continue Reading
