Bankrupting America Launches Online Advocacy Campaign Urging Senate To Vote On A Budget

ARLINGTON, Va., April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bankrupting America, a project of Public Notice, launched a multipronged online educational advocacy campaign leading up to the three-year anniversary since the last time Congress passed a budget. The campaign includes a web video, online advertising, a Twitter hashtag campaign and a grassroots call to action urging the Senate to pass a budget.

Congress last passed a budget on April 29, 2009, almost three years ago. Since then, Members of Congress from both parties have failed to work together to perform one of the federal government's most basic functions.

Watch the web video: http://www.bankruptingamerica.org/video/enough-talk-grow-up-do-your-job/

Gretchen Hamel, executive director of Public Notice, issued the following statement announcing the campaign:

"It is unfathomable that Congress continues to spend taxpayer dollars without passing a budget.  Families across America have to plan out budgets to make ends meet and they should expect the same from their elected officials.

"Congress needs to stop pointing fingers and do its job. The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness among taxpayers that their representatives in Washington are failing in their most basic of duties."

The Twitter hashtag campaign will involve tweets of what was happening in the world when the Senate last passed a budget. For example: No one had heard of an iPad #duringthelastbudget

Click here to watch the web video.

Script of web video:
Text | (April 29th, 2009)
"The House and Senate have passed companion budget plans." 
Text | (America's last budget is passed)
"It's a done deal now the House has acted, the Senate has acted."
Text | (Three years later. No new Budget.)
Text | (Millions of Americans struggling to find work.)
Text | (Trillions in new debt.)
Text | (45% debt increase since President Obama took office.)
Text | (What have they been doing?)
"We turn now to the ongoing gridlock in Congress."
'We're now approaching three years since a budget was passed, how do you feel about that?'
Senator Conrad: 'I feel good about retiring, that's for sure.'
Senator Johnson: 'They don't want their fingerprints on a plan. That's why they didn't pass a budget the last two years.'
Senator Coons: 'The reality is we're not going to get a budget resolution out of the senate.'  
Senator Conrad: 'There's very little chance we're going to get two sides together before the election.'
Senator Sessions: 'The leadership in this body won't even bring up a budget. He said it was foolish.'  
Senate Majority Leader Reid: 'House republicans are going to make another excuse, create another diversion, and avoid another tough choice.'
Speaker Boehner: 'The Senate's done nothing. Three years, three years and they've failed to move a budget.'  
Senator Conrad: 'What we don't have is a longer term plan.'
Senator McCaskill: 'The reason we didn't get a budget last year is because Mitch McConnell objected.'
Senator Kyl: 'Senate democrats now for the third year in a row will not have passed a budget. That's their job.'
Senator Heller: 'We're not doing our jobs, we're not doing our business, and the American people are suffering because of it!'
Text | (The American people are suffering.)
Text | (Grow up.)
Text | (Lead. Act.)
Text | (Call your senator at 1-888-760-7997 and say, "Stop pointing your fingers and start doing your job.")

SOURCE Bankrupting America