Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Republican Leader Designee to the Budget Committee, released the following statement after voting against the Democrats’ partisan American Rescue Plan.
“Throughout the entire Budget Reconciliation process, Americans watched as Democrats, with a slight majority, rejected opportunities to work in a bipartisan manner,” said Burgess. “Last week, I made statements about how Republicans were excluded from this process in the House of Representatives. Then, once the bill moved to the Senate, Democrats held a vote open for nearly half a day to persuade Senator Manchin to vote against an amendment put forward by Senator Portman. Apparently, it would have been the downfall of our Republic should a Democrat vote for a Republican amendment.”
“Each member of Congress was sent to Washington to represent their state or Congressional district. Congress is split almost exactly down the middle. To exclude nearly 50 percent of Members from contributing to the legislative process silences the voices of half the country. I understand that this legislation provides an expedited process by only requiring a simple majority to pass the Senate; however, that does not negate the fact that history shows the most successful pieces of legislation happen with bipartisan support.
“The passage of Republican amendments should not equate to the end of the world. Instead, that passage should signal a call to more bipartisan amendments and bills. Congress should take every opportunity to pass bipartisan legislation because when we do, the Republic is strengthened.
“It is disappointing that Republican efforts to bring unity to the legislative process continue to be rejected. It is unsettling that close to $1 trillion from previous Coronavirus response legislation remains unspent and we are spending another $2 trillion with this bill.
“This process is filled with more lost opportunities than successes. Let us put aside the political scorecard, take the lessons from this process, and move towards working together. Congress working in a bipartisan manner ensures that every American is represented, not half of them.”
