From time to time my office distributes press releases and written statements on state and national issues, debate in the Senate, and legislation that I am working on. For your convenience, I post these documents on my site for your review.
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Sessions Comments on Reid Omnibus Bill
“I am proud to stand with Sen. Coburn to test the willingness of the Senate to impose self-discipline in the face of the reckless spending that has plagued this chamber in recent years.
“Sen. Coburn has exercised his right as a senator to withhold his consent from a number of bills that, together, would authorize more than $10 billion in new spending. Some will say this is nothing more than an effort by one senator to frustrate the desires of others. In truth, Sen. Coburn has merely voiced his objection when asked by the majority if there was universal agreement among senators to approve the legislation without consideration. The result is a legislative hold, a procedural move that I have invoked from time to time for similar reasons.
“Unanimous consent is a well-established and useful procedural tool in the Senate. But there is a growing trend to avoid public debate and roll call votes by using UC agreements to approve significant policy changes and additional spending. We must change the mindset that every senator is entitled to passage of his or her pet project, on demand and by unanimous consent. It is a bad habit, and the net effect is deficit spending today, paid for by our children tomorrow.
“We do not argue that all spending authorized in the omnibus legislation is without merit. Rather, we should carefully consider the individual bills, and, if they are determined to be priorities, we should pay for them by cutting unnecessary spending in other places. To do so requires time, hard work, and healthy debate, none of which is possible when legislation is passed in the dead of night by unanimous consent.
“It is nearly always easier to go along with the crowd, ignoring one’s true opinions in an effort to maintain harmony and avoid conflict. But that is not why our constituents send us to Washington, and that is not what the framers of our Constitution envisioned when they created the Senate.
“We should applaud, not criticize, a senator willing to carefully study legislation, determine its effects, and disagree with the majority when his or her best judgment so instructs. If there were more members in the chamber willing to do that, the Senate would be better for it.”
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