RICHMOND, VA - House Republican Caucus Chairman Timothy Hugo (R-Fairfax) issued the following statement this evening after Senate Democrats forced an impasse on the 2012-14 biennial budget:
"Today in the House of Delegates, we passed the House budget on a vote of 79-21. In the House, we've engaged Democrats to help craft a budget that addresses all of the issues important to Virginians. A strong bi-partisan vote count doesn't mean that the House Republicans and Democrats agree on every detail of the House budget, yet we discussed the substantive issues of our members and voted through a fiscally, substantively and structurally sound budget," said Hugo.
"Much to my dismay, the Senate failed to pass out a budget this afternoon. Instead, Senate Democrats brazenly abandoned their constitutional obligation to pass a budget. They did so to leverage the budget in exchange for better committee assignments than the rules of the Senate currently afford them. They did so notwithstanding the reality that they have taken hostage the tax dollars and services of every single resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia."
"Senate Democrats have put their political posturing ahead of the citizens they are elected to represent. Over the last two months, the General Assembly has passed hundreds of bills that address jobs, education, health care and public safety. Governor McDonnell, the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia have each crafted a budget, submitted in good faith, intended to serve Virginians through the end of the biennium. Despite our hard work, this session has been hijacked by liberal partisan rhetoric on a tiny fraction of bills. Now, Senate Democrats intend to obstruct the work of the General Assembly," he continued.
"I encourage the Senate Democrat Caucus - in the strongest possible terms - to stop playing partisan games and earnestly work toward a budget agreement."
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