McDonnell says U.S. Senate hasn't passed a budget in 4-1/2 years

During an Oct. 2 interview on Fox News, Gov. Bob McDonnell said there is a pox on both political parties for causing the federal government’s partial shutdown. But he insisted the biggest welts are on the backs of President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate.

McDonnell, a Republican, noted that 49 states require the passage of balanced budgets each year. That includes Virginia.

"We’re incredulous, at the state level, it’s been four and a half years since the United States Senate has passed a budget, a spending blueprint for America," McDonnell said. "You know, no business, no state, no local government, no church, no synagogue, or a family could ever run like that."

Later in the interview, McDonnell repeated that the Senate has not passed a budget in 4-1/2 years. We asked for asked for elaboration and Tucker Martin, McDonnell’s chief of communications, sent us a PolitiFact Tennessee article from September 2012. It gave Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn, a True rating for saying the Senate has failed to pass a budget in "more than three years."

That Truth-O-Meter item said Senate hadn’t passed a budget since April 29, 2009.  But things have changed.

The Senate, on March 23 this year, passed a $3.7 trillion budget on a 50-49 vote that maintained entitlements -- such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare -- and discretionary domestic programs. It differed from a $3.5 trillion House budget, passed three days earlier, that significantly cut entitlement programs and deficits over the coming decade.

Efforts to send the competing budgets to a conference committee have been unsuccessful, however. A group of Tea Party senators has blocked motions -- which need unanimous consent -- to advance the Senate’s spending plan. They have insisted on assurances that the budget negotiations would not lead to higher taxes and voiced concern that a conference committee could create momentum for procedures that thwart filibusters against increasing the nation's debt limit.

Featured Fact-check

Bobby Scott

stated on March 25, 2013 in a radio interview.

Paul Ryan’s budget "keeps the Obamacare taxes and spending cuts that paid for Obamacare, but then cuts all of the benefits."

Our ruling

McDonnell said the U.S. Senate hasn’t passed a budget in four and a half years. His information is out of date. The Senate passed a budget in March. A group of Republican senators has  blocked efforts to begin budget negotiations with the House.

What a difference a year makes for this claim. McDonnell’s statement is False.