NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall spoke to reporters on Zoom Monday morning to explain his no vote on the stopgap spending bill passed over the weekend.
"I made it very clear from the very beginning, that I would vote for no funding for Ukraine, not a single dollar for Ukraine, unless we secured the border first," Marshall said. "I said that I would not do any more of these stopgap measures that we're doing, these continuing resolutions, as well. I said I wouldn't do any more of those and I wouldn't do any big omnibuses, that I will vote against those very consistently."
Marshall wants to see budgets passed with everyone doing their homework on time. That didn't happen here.
"The Budget Act of 1974 states a very clear process, what we should do when it comes to budgeting and setting up our appropriation process," Marshall said. "It has deadlines and dates on it. It starts with the first Monday in February, that the President shall submit their budget. President Biden was a month late with that. That sets up a domino of problems and he's not alone. It's unusual for a President in the past two decades, three decades, to submit a budget on time. Then, it has dates for Congress to do its work, as well. By April 15, we should submit a budget resolution that gives us top-line numbers for the appropriations commitees to work with. Basically, Congress totally ignores that process."
There are no real consequences for missing those deadlines, at this point.
"What happens if the President doesn't submit his budget in time? There's really no recourse," Marshall said. "I'll be working with my friends to try to come up with some type of sticks, so to speak, to encourage, to basically force the President to get the budget on time and for Congress to get a budget resolution done in time, as well."
The vote passed the Senate 88-9 and funds the government for 45 days.
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