Debt Crisis: Reid Quotes Elliot telling Republicans to "Hurry Up, Please," then Proceeds to
S.J. Res. 20, Libya

July 5, 2011

Diane W. Collins

dcollins@marketingweb.com

 

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Debt Crisis: "Senate Not Engaged in Serious Effort"

The Senate met today because of a decision by leadership to cancel the July Fourth recess in an attempt to show it's serious about solving the nation's debt crisis. In opening remarks on the Senate floor regarding the debt crisis, Majority Leader Harry Reid waxed poetic quoting T.S. Elliot saying "Hurry up please. It's time," while pointing his finger figuratively at Republicans.

 

This is all rather amusing in that Reid after parliamentary mumbo-jumbo and invoking cloture on S.1323, "Sense of the Senate on Shared Sacrifice" (anyone making $1M annually, heads up) proceeded to the debate on Libya, S.J.Res 20. What happened to being serious about the debt crisis? In essence, Reid tied the Senate up on the Libya issue throughout the day and evening culminating with a vote to begin at 5 pm Eastern. That vote is expected to go late to "accommodate senators returning to town." I guess some actually made it home to celebrate July 4th despite the recess cancellation... after all it was the weekend and the Fourth is a holiday... But, then the Senate didn't convene today until 2 pm, Eastern.

 

This is not to downplay the serious nature of our involvement in Libya or S.J. Res. 20. However, the bill regarding Libya is at this point academic... it will produce no real result. So, rather than clearing the calendar, expecting senators to be in town when the Senate convened and moving to the nations #1 crisis... the debt crisis, Reid waxed poetic and blamed Republicans.

 

This is another example of the Left's rhetoric not matching their actions. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) made the point well. "If we had a serious effort to talk about the national debt in this week of recess that has been canceled we'd would be convening the (Senate) Budget Committee today and asking them to report a budget on the floor for the first time in almost 800 days so that we could have a debate on the floor about the budget."

 

Sen. Wicker, we couldn't agree more.

 

UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) postpones procedural vote on S. J. Res. 20 after pressure from Republicans and commits to focusing on debt crisis.

 

 

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