Sessions exits race for Budget Committee Chairmanship, concedes to Enzi

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) prepares for a television interview in the Russell Senate Office Building (Photo: Facebook)

Washington – U.S. Senators Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo) have come to an agreement regarding the Budget Committee in the 114th Congress. Pending a committee vote and GOP Caucus approval, Enzi will chair the committee and Sessions will take on a significant role in reforming welfare spending and identifying and eliminating wasteful federal spending.

Sessions’ and Enzi’s statements can be found below. Yellowhammer will follow up with a more in-depth analysis of what this means for Sen. Sessions’ role in the Republican-controlled Senate later this evening:

Sen. Sessions:

My good friend Mike and I have been close since we both entered the Senate together eighteen years ago. We will long remain good and close friends. We have talked and I am deferring to his seniority so that he can lead the Budget Committee as its Chairman beginning in 2015. 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.

The Budget Committee has an exceptional staff and I am proud of what we have accomplished.

Mike is an accountant and a small businessman who understands the need to balance budgets and tell the truth about the numbers. He is a man of integrity and principle, respected by all of his Senate colleagues. I am eager to assist him next year, and I hope to tackle the important issue of welfare reform.

I look forward to being active as a senior member on four committees of enormous importance: Armed Services, Budget, Environment and Public Works, and Judiciary. I also look forward to serving as Chairman of critical Senate subcommittees. My roles in the Senate will give me the opportunity to focus on important issues such as defense, national security, federal debt, EPA reform, crime and immigration.

Overall, I remain deeply concerned about falling wages and the lack of good jobs for Americans. Too many of our citizens are either stuck in place or falling behind, and too often their needs are forgotten. Our new GOP Congress must put the needs of Americans first.

Sen. Enzi:

Jeff is an outstanding leader and an outstanding speaker. If this were football, Jeff would be an all-star linebacker, corner, and safety all at the same time. He is our first line of defense on many issues. The team needs him and Jeff will be right there with his expertise taking the lead on welfare reform and, where we will miss Senator Coburn, Jeff will be there eliminating duplication and waste. He will also be eliminating reports of little value and forms that don’t produce significant results. He will handle those and other critical parts.

I look forward to working with Jeff and the rest of the Budget Committee members on a budget that cuts spending, targets executive overreach, and reduces the size of government. We have an incredible opportunity to do something great for our country and Jeff will play an integral role in this. He has a love for this country that is hard to rival. He speaks his mind and takes a stand for our principles even in the face of daunting opposition. He’s been an amazing friend for over 18 years and I can’t think of a better partner to work with on so many issues in the next Congress than him.