The Budget Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Heather Higginbottom to be President Obama’s deputy budget director. Sen. Sessions confronted the nominee over false assertions from the White House regarding the president’s budget.
Both President Obama and his budget director have repeatedly said that the president’s budget allows us to “live within our means,” “spend money that we have each year,” and “begin paying down our debt.” Numerous fact-check organizations have found these statements to be false and Sessions has argued that these inaccurate claims undermine efforts to confront our growing fiscal crisis.
In reality, the budget that President Obama submitted adds $13 trillion to the debt, never has a deficit less than $600 billion, and spends more than it takes in every single year. And by the tenth year, interest payments on our debt will rise to $844 billion–more than we spend on Medicare or defense.
Although Sessions vowed to provide Higginbottom with “a fair and thorough hearing” he noted that “she has a remarkable absence of relevant experience. Instead, her experience is political, such as her work on the Obama presidential campaign.”
“My fear is that Ms. Higgonbottom’s nomination may be akin to appointing a wartime general who has never had a day of military service,” he said.
Sessions outlined his broader concerns over the nation’s fiscal condition and his issues with the White House’s fiscal 2012 budget proposal.
“This hearing also occurs at a time when I have growing concerns about the lack of candor from this White House when it comes to our nation’s fiscal challenges,” he said.
Sessions questioned statements by President Obama and budget director Jack Lew who have said the fiscal 2012 budget request will help put the nation’s fiscal house back.
“Not one of these claims is true,” he said. “And yet the White House has persisted in its irresponsible presentation.
“If we are to confront our growing budget crisis we need fact-based budgeting, not fantasy budgeting.”
Sessions signaled it would not be an easy confirmation process.
“I cannot support a nominee to this position who cannot discuss this budget with clarity and candor,” he said. “There can be no debating the president’s budget does not live within our means.”
Note: Higginbottom, a former advisor for Obama’s presidential campaign, has no formal budget training or experience
Wild Thing’s comment…….
Amazing isn’t it, where does obama find all these people that either are not qualified or they are communist/socialist or Marxist. Can you imagine to have associations like obama does. I would hate my life if I had to know them in any way.
$2.175 Trillion Tax for 2011, Total spending is 3.5 Trillion that includes interest. our current deficit is 1.33 Trillion. This is above and beyond the what they took in from income tax. By paying the interest, the amount of money borrowed doesn’t change and at the end of the year is added again to the debt. Paying the interest is like maintaining the status quo for that year. The fact that they borrowed $1.3 trillion and they turn around as say we are living with in our means is pure Bullshit. If the republicans don’t get a handle on this we are doomed
Good question Chrissie. He gets these ignorant fools through the ACORN/CAIR fair employment agency.
Thank you Mark and Eddie.