Sessions concedes to Enzi after Budget gavel tussle

thehill.com ^ | 12/17/14 | Rebecca Shabad

[cotton1706]

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Wednesday afternoon conceded to Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) after a race to become the next chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

Sessions, currently the panel’s ranking member, said he reached an agreement with his “good friend” Enzi.

“We have talked and I am deferring to his seniority so that he can lead the Budget Committee as its Chairman beginning in 2015,” Sessions said in a statement.

“Mike graciously deferred to me two years ago after he timed out on HELP as Ranking Member, and it has been my enormous privilege to serve as the panel’s Ranking Member these last four years, as well as to serve as the Judiciary Ranking Member for the two years before that,” Sessions added.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the self-proclaimed socialist, will be the new ranking member. He is a vocal advocate for increased spending on social programs and says the budget of the Pentagon should be dramatically slashed.

The Budget gavel was the last open seat remaining in the 114th Congress.

Sessions was slated to become chairman until Enzi decided to jump into the race. Enzi only has more seniority on the committee because of lots they both drew when they entered the Senate in 1997, giving him a technical advantage in the race. Both men joined the Budget Committee in 2003.

[dware]

I never thought the day would come when I hated Republicans more than Democrats but it is here.

Heart breaking, ain't it?

[House Atreides]

“Enzi is officially on my sh_t list.”
****************************************************************************
As he should be -— Sessions would have been a dream come true as head of the Budget Committee. Oh well, maybe he can have a good influence on Enzi. Unfortunately, Enzi will be the one hiring Committee staffers and they will certainly be a different breed than the ones Sessions would have hired.

I remember when Liz Cheney had started up a primary challenge to Enzi most conservatives (and, I suspect, most FReepers) rallied around Enzi. That was a mistake in my opinion and was largely the reason she dropped out of her challenge.

Whether we like it or not, Mike Enzi is McConnell’s favorite type of “conservative”; and that type is the “accommodating” type. So I expect he will be a team player on the McConnell/Boehner team. And, with that, we will be on the fast track from an 18 Trillion Dollar national debt to a 19 Trillion Dollar debt. But not to worry, the RINO (and many ‘RAT) cronies will be well taken care of.

[ilgipper]

dick cheney’s daughter knew what enzi was about. Exactly. Remember when everyone scolded her and those supporting her because Enzi was a stand-up conservative? Now, I wish more had been done to make that a real challenge. At the time, I didn't care much since it didn't seem like the biggest race. Now, we see what happens when the K-street whores get their guy.

[robert14]

Doesn’t the new Senate have to vote on the leadership positions in Jan?

[mrsmith]

Armed Services, Budget, Environment and Public Works, and Judiciary committees.
He’ll be a senior member. I assume will get sub-committee chairs.

[gogeo]

WRONG!!!

When it comes to serving higher office, "entitled" means nothing...and in this case, much less than that.

To he!! with his 'career.'

[John S Mosby]

Sessions should not be quiet— whatsoever. Watch Enzi like a hawk— and run the committee for REAL. Enzi— what a maroon. Seniority not ideology.

[gwjack]

I’m glad to see he is still on Budget. His experience as Ranking Member won’t go to waste. He wont control the agenda, but he can deploy missives to influence policy. He should be able to deal with immigration from both Budget and Judiciary. Is Hatch the Chair for Judiciary? Or Grassley?

[SZonian]

If I recall correctly, many of the RINO pushing FReepers around here were calling Cheney a carpetbagger and such...

[Timber Rattler]

More bad news out of the GOP-E.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Yes. Enzi is McConnell’s RINO puppet. The “seniority” was based on a coin flip years ago.

[Diogenesis]

Is there any reason to support the EXEMPT GOP?

YES!!!!! If you want RomneyCARE or Amnesty
or bloated indefensible budgets or NO ACCOUNTABILITY.

The EXEMPT GOP is as evil as the EXEMPT DNC.

[John S Mosby]

Entitled... riiight. Capable, not so much. Lining his pockets.

The “Bob Dole” old bull approach. Seniority by time, not ability. The battle lines are drawn. This cannot continue this rubberstamping of obamaumao et cie.

[mrsmith]

“...Jeff will be right there with his expertise taking the lead on welfare reform...” Enzi said.
Sounds like they have ‘an understanding’. Though how any good welfare reform would get through Mitch and John’s congress is beyond me!

Grassley has the Judiciary Chair.

[Lazamataz]

At this point, what does it matter. Eff it.

[DoodleDawg]

Why?

Because Mitch McConnell can't have anyone running the Budget Committee that isn't completely subservient to him.

[John S Mosby]

Entitled... riiight. Capable, not so much. Lining his pockets.

The “Bob Dole” old bull approach. Seniority by time, not ability. The battle lines are drawn. This cannot continue this rubberstamping of obamaumao et cie.

[mrsmith]

Even worse the seniority comes not from time since they both joined the committee the same year but from some kind of ‘drawing of lots’ (a coin toss?) at the time to determine who started first.

In general a Senator must take whatever advancements are presented to him in the interests of his constituency.
They expect it.

[ansel12]

Liz Cheney was early in her support for gay marriage and the homosexual agenda, including at the federal level and for the military.

She wanted DADT ended and rejoiced when it was, she was against DOMA, is against a constitutional amendment to save marriage, and supports gay marriage, and supports the State department move to the gay agenda.

After 46 years of life and politics, and being a member of the Romney campaign where she never expressed a pro-life belief, anywhere, she has also suddenly became “strongly pro-life”, just for this campaign.

Liz Cheney was largely being assigned the role of the "conservative woman" knee capper of Governor Palin, someone more in line with the libertarian/rino/Romney wing.

""Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney Fundraiser: Media Prohibited From Photographing Cheney, Romney Together""

Dick Cheney hosted two fundraisers for Mitt Romney on Thursday, but there are no photographs to show for it. Cheney, who endorsed Romney, held a late-afternoon fundraiser at the Teton Pines Country Club and a more intimate dinner at his home near Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

[House Atreides]

Yes, feel free to repeat the RNC’s talking points in support of Enzi — but I’ve already heard them. You folks have already won that battle, so no need to redo it.

I hope you enjoy all the “benefits” that will be coming out of his Budget Committee.