WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, President Obama will give his State of the Union address on the 1,000^th day since the Democrat-controlled Senate passed a budget.  In a statement today, Senator Mike Lee said this important and unfortunate milestone should not be ignored.

“The inability of the President and Democratic leadership in the Senate to produce and pass a budget for the American people in nearly three years is a stunning failure. We have gone 1000 days without a blueprint for America’s priorities, and it has led to more irresponsible spending and record-setting annual deficits.  Future generations will pay through higher taxes, greater inflation, and diminished prosperity. 

“That it has happened at a time of great economic turmoil only makes the failure more dangerous. That it has happened for political reasons only makes the failure more shameful.

“During the Democrats’ 1000 days of failure, Republicans have proposed several budgets that not only reflect the will of the American people, but also a responsible path toward getting our fiscal house in order. We have submitted entitlement reform, tax reform, unprecedented spending reductions, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, and even budget process reforms – all of which have been blocked by the majority.

“It should be painfully clear to the American people that the President and Senate Democrats are unworthy of leadership.  Over the span of 1000 days, they have approved of $9.4 trillion in spending and added $4.1 trillion to the national debt.  Last May, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it would be ‘foolish’ to pass a budget, and the most recent budget proposal submitted by the President was so unrealistic it failed in the Senate 97 to zero.

“Democrats will say they have failed to pass a budget because of Republican ‘obstruction’ and the threat of a filibuster in the Senate.  However, they know that budgets only require a simple majority to pass and are not subject to a filibuster.

“The truth is that they cannot publicly reveal what they would like to spend because the American people would reject it out-of-hand. Under the most recent 10-year outline by the President, interest payments on our national debt would balloon to almost $1 trillion per year, drowning out critical resources for national defense, health care, and more.  Their vision for America is unsustainable.

“As the President prepares to stand before the American people and defend the past, we should be mindful that he and his party have no concrete plan for the future.  This benchmark – the Democrats’ 1000 days of failure – is a stark reminder that we must hold them accountable immediately.”