On the Friday broadcast of Mark Levin’s radio program, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) revealed language was slipped into the budget deal [passed last week] eliminating a provision that required 60 votes in the Senate to increase spending and taxes beyond what was specified in the Budget Control Act of 2011 (the sequester).
Under the rule change only a simple majority would be required:
JEFF SESSIONS: One of the things we lost in this is the budget point of order that I’ve used three times, and we stopped new spending. Three times in the last year or so, that got stripped out in this package, which we’ve been more than, I think there was probably error somehow that happened, except those pushing for it.
MARK LEVIN: Wait, I don’t understand that. ..
SESSIONS: In the legislation that came over, it would eliminate the 60-vote requirement when you spend more money than the budget control act approves for spending. Even if you offset it with a fee or a tax. I’ve used that three times and three times the Republican Senate stood firm and voted not to waive the budget. Kept them from spending more and taxing more.
One would expect that the Republican majority in the House will not allow such spending increases, and while DeVine Law marginally approves of the Ryan anti-government shutdown strategy; as Senator Marco Rubio reminds, we are in an economic crisis now, the debt limit will once again be breached early next year, and continuing to kick the entitlement-debt can down the road won’t avert a crisis:
We wonder if the “Boehner Rule” will be re-asserted to insist that any increase in the debt ceiling be matched by additional spending cuts equaling any such increase? We await word from the author of the rule, Mr. Speaker.
DeVine Law