Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
09.23.21
WASHINGTON, DC– Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) and 14 Republican senators to introduce the No Hearing, No Vote Act. As Democrats attempt to ram a multi-trillion dollar tax-and-spend spree through Congress with the budget reconciliation process rather than regular order with committee hearings, the Senators are introducing a bill to require that reconciliation bills receive a full hearing before votes can occur so massive tax changes and spending bills can be vetted by lawmakers and the American people.
Joining Lankford and Braun in introducing the legislation are Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Mike Rounds (R-SD ).
No Hearing, No Vote was first introduced in 2017 by Senator Chuck Schumer and 39 Democrats.
“Senate Democrats are plowing ahead with their plan to create $3.5 trillion of new entitlements without a single Senate hearing or getting any input from the American people. This is not how the process is supposed to work. If the bill doesn’t get a hearing, then the Senate should not give it a vote,” said Lankford.
“Democrats are trying to fundamentally change this country and inject trillions of dollars of federal government into every aspect of your life, and the American people have been kept in the dark. No Hearing No Vote is simple: every American should have a representative at the table when Congress is considering huge bills that will affect every American,” said Braun.
“Democrats’ abuse of the budget reconciliation process is appalling and sad. Despite the trillions of dollars they have already spent under the Biden administration and the clear concerns of American citizens regarding this spending, they want more. Their tax and spending spree would burn through Americans’ hard-earned dollars at an alarming rate and it must be stopped. That’s why I am proud to introduce the No Hearing, No Vote bill alongside Sens. Braun, Burr and a number of our Republican colleagues to bring greater transparency and deliberation to the reconciliation process,” said Inhofe.
“The last few months have demonstrated just how far the Democrats are willing to go to jam this multi-trillion dollar liberal wish list through Congress,” said Burr. “It’s clear the Democrats don’t want to hold public hearings on this spending spree because they know how unpopular some of these policies are with the American people. This commonsense legislation ensures that both Democrats and Republicans have a voice at the table when considering significant funding decisions.”
“Tennesseans have had enough of Democrat scheming,” said Blackburn. “Taxpayers are already on the hook for trillions of dollars’ worth of radical policies that will take more money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans. No Hearing, No Vote puts an end to the left’s backdoor budgets and forces politicians to own up to the citizens footing the bill.”
“The lack of accountability to American taxpayers in Congress is staggering. Again and again, we’ve seen Democrats rush massive legislation spending billions or trillions in tax dollars without any public input, real debate or scrutiny. That needs to end. America’s credit card is maxed out and if we want to protect opportunity for future generations, we need to get our house in order and pay down the debt. We must pass our bill, No Hearing, No Vote, to hold Democrats accountable for every single dollar spent in their reckless tax-and-spend agenda. It is our responsibility to put structural reforms like these in place to get our nation back on an economically stable path for American families now and for future generations,” said Scott.
“Congress routinely carries out its instructed responsibilities under regular order, even in the case of legislation that has resulted in a partisan outcome. Opting to move legislation by forgoing regular order sets a dysfunctional precedent to abandon Senate procedure and further erodes public trust,” said Crapo.
“Democrats are trying to ram their enormous tax-and-spending package through Congress without proper scrutiny or transparency,” said Cramer. “Our bill would ensure we follow regular order and prevent Democrats from advancing their reckless agenda without first going through the committee process.”
“With DC Democrats pushing to ram through their reckless tax-and-spending-spree, at the very least, taxpayers across Iowa and the nation deserve to know how and where their hard-earned dollars are being doled out. That’s why I’m backing this simple effort to shed light on the Democrats’ out-of-control spending for Iowans and Americans who will be footing the bill,” said Ernst.
“Democrats are attempting to ram through $3.5 trillion in spending using the budget reconciliation process. The No Hearing, No Vote bill is an effort to stop this massive tax-and-spend legislation by requiring that any reconciliation bill have hearings before any floor votes,” said Hoeven.
“Democrats want to continue sneaking through their heedless spending on a completely partisan basis in the dark of night, but we owe it to the American people to bring it to light. I’m pleased to join my colleagues in this common sense bill to preserve Senate order, restore committees to their rightful place, protect the American taxpayer, and end the Democrats’ reckless spending sprees,” said Hagerty.
BACKGROUND:
- No Hearing, No Vote is a simple legislative reform designed to preserve regular order in the United States Senate when high stakes budget reconciliation bills are considered.
- If enacted, reconciliation bills would be required to first receive a full hearing before votes can occur.
- No Hearing, No Vote was first introduced in 2017 by Senator Chuck Schumer and 39 Democrats.
- The American public is bound by the provisions of reconciliation bills, and taxpayers are on the hook to fund these bills. It is commonsense to hold hearings to ensure content is fully understood and vetted by the American public and lawmakers.
- For the second time this year, Democrats bypassed the Senate Budget Committee to vote on a budget resolution. They serve as vehicles to spending via a budget reconciliation process. The most recent budget resolution (S.Con.Res.14) is designed to facilitate a reckless, $4.2 trillion tax and spending plan.
WHAT NO HEARING, NO VOTE DOES:
- Under the bill, it will not be in order in the Senate to consider any reconciliation bill on Senate floor unless the reconciliation bill was:
- ordered reported to the Senate by the committee of the Senate receiving reconciliation instructions, OR
- reported by the Senate Budget Committee after receiving recommendations ordered to be reported to the Committee on the Budget by one (1) or more committees of the Senate receiving reconciliation instructions.
- Additionally, a reconciliation bill will not be in order on the Senate floor unless each committee that received instructions reported the reconciliation bill, OR ordered recommendations to be reported to the Senate Budget Committee held not less than one (1) hearing regarding any major provision of the reconciliation bill.
- No Hearing, No Vote requirement may be waived or suspended in the Senate only by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members.
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