U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee - Larry E. Craig, Chairman - Jade West, Staff Director
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June 4, 2002

Remember When?
Senator Byrd's View of the Budget Process When He Was Majority Leader

For the first time since Congress passed the Budget Act in 1974, the Senate is in danger of neglecting its obligation to pass a budget resolution. Despite the fact that the nation is at war, deficits loom, and the President and the House have both done their jobs, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Senate Democrats will fail to produce a budget this year.

In 1987, Senator Byrd began his second tenure as Majority Leader, which was the last time that the Democrats regained control of the Senate. During the first year of that new majority, Senator Byrd spoke to the need for Congress to address the budget in a timely fashion, to actually do the work required to construct the budget, and to provide the leadership required to facilitate the budget's completion.

Timeliness of Budgets

As Majority Leader, Senator Byrd recognized the importance of passing a budget resolution in a timely manner and in 1986 called on President Reagan to submit his budget a month ahead of schedule in order to facilitate that goal. 

  • "Byrd has stressed that he wants to begin business quickly and avoid the late-session logjam that plagued Congress in recent years when the Senate delayed action on many issues, notably the budget. Thus he successfully urged Reagan to submit his budget to Congress on Jan. 5 rather than delay until early February, as has been the recent practice. 'Congress must not spend the first three months of the year in the presidential waiting room,' he told Senate Democrats at their organizing session." [The National Journal, January 3, 1987]

Doing The Work

While lamenting the Senate's lack of progress in constructing a budget, particularly a bipartisan budget, Senator Byrd noted the need for Senators and the President to actually work together.

  • "It is my hope that my colleagues from the other side of the aisle will not be held hostage . . . to a strategy of noninvolvement in the development of a budget. Senators were not elected to be no-shows. Senators were not elected to be nonparticipants, nor was the President. So it is my very real hope that the President will release his troops in this Senate and show good faith in putting the budget together." [Congressional Record, 10051, April 28, 1987].

Leadership's Role

Then-Majority Leader Byrd repeatedly stated the need for effective leadership in the construction of a budget and that the deficits could not be erased by merely avoiding the issue.

  • "I think that the American people want their elected leaders to get a handle on our budgetary problems and make the tough decisions that will get us back on the road to fiscal sanity and economic security. . . . Leadership is about tough choices. Leadership is about taking responsibility. Those who sit on the sidelines have no right to complain about the way the game is going. Leadership is often difficult and thankless, but those who ask for it should be willing to try to meet the challenges head on. Real leaders do just that. Real leaders think about the legacy they are leaving for the country and the problems they are leaving for future leaders." [Congressional Record, 16821, June 19, 1987]

  • "[President Reagan] faced a battery of tough questions dealing with the budget deficit. I think now is the time to forget the finger pointing and to be nonpartisan and to be Americans in working together to cope with this difficult problem. We can be Democrats and we can be Republicans some other time." [Congressional Record, 29018, October 23, 1987].

Though the Senate Democratic Leadership has missed the Congressional deadline for the budget and has even passed Majority Leader Daschle's hoped-for pre-Memorial Day time line, it is not too late for Democrats still to follow the advice of Senator Byrd and take the appropriate and responsible steps of calling up, debating, amending, and passing a budget.

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