Senate Republican leaders pray for Ted Kennedy, and claim that Democrats don’t put the troops first

At a media availability in the U.S. Capitol, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate Republicans had a somber Policy Committee lunch, where they said a prayer for Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and his family. He then moved to address what is happening this week in the Senate, saying that the fundamental question is what to do about funds for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

McConnell said the Republican’s are concerned about securing the funds requested by the president. Budget Committee Ranking Member Senator Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said the Senate will be doing a budget resolution this week, but that the Democrats “have not shared any of the numbers with our side of the aisle,” which he says reflects poor taste. He said it is pretty apparent by both resolutions that passed in the House and the Senate that this resolution will have a massive tax increase for working Americans, and it will pass the mark of one trillion dollars in discretionary spending. He said he believes the American people had the right to expect that Congress can hold the line, but that “the other side of the aisle doesn’t believe in holding the line at all in spending.” He said the budget also makes no effort to “address the impending fiscal meltdown of this country as a result of the cost of entitlements,” and that it will pass down the current economic burdens to the next generation.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (R-Nev.) said the Democrats are not putting the troops first, and are loading up the supplemental bill with items inviting a veto. He also said Democrats are complaining about gas prices, and are blocking the U.S. from increasing its domestic supply. McConnell echoed that the U.S., as the third largest producer of oil and gas in the world, should produce more supply from American wells to bring down the price of oil. He also hopes for a compromise in crafting a bill for veteran’s benefits.