Senator Bob Corker on Saturday opposed final passage of the Senate budget because he said it "fails to address the biggest drivers of our debt—Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid—in an honest, meaningful way."

Senator Corker said, “On top of adding $7.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, the Senate budget does nothing to reform and save our entitlement programs. We cannot keep ignoring the reality that without reform, Medicare will be broke in 2024; Social Security, in 2033.

“These programs have already helped millions of Americans live better lives, and there’s no reason that if updated and reformed, they can’t help millions more.

“The best opportunity for reform that we have had in a long time will be in the next few months. I urge the president to use his bully pulpit to highlight the need for entitlement reform and to continue his outreach to congressional leaders, which I believe has been positive and constitutive. We must have the courage to make the tough choices necessary to save these programs and our country in the process."

Senator Lamar Alexander released the following statement on the budget resolution passed by the Senate Majority: 

“I voted against the Senate Democrats’ budget because it has $1 trillion in new taxes, and despite adding $1 trillion in new taxes it never balances. It destines our young Americans to be forever known as the ‘debt-paying generation.’ Republicans offered a serious blueprint for significantly reducing federal spending that balances the budget without raising taxes.”

On his support of an amendment by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), similar to his own proposal to repeal the 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices, which the Senate passed, he said,

“I voted for the repeal of this burdensome Obamacare tax because it was driving up the cost of life-saving medical devices for consumers, and costing Tennesseans good jobs. As Tennessee’s top export industry, medical device manufacturers are an important source of jobs and an asset for recruiting companies from around the world to invest in our state.”

On his support of an amendment by Senator Hatch that would have repealed the employer mandate under the Affordable Health Care Act:

“This mandate on employers is going to make it hard for workers to keep their jobs, their hours and their health care. Congress should repeal this mandate and work to reform our health care system with a single-minded focus on reducing the cost of health care.”

On his amendment that would allow federal Title I education dollars to follow 11 million low-income children to any accredited school, public or private:

“Today, $14.5 billion in federal education dollars isn’t reaching the 11 million low-income children it’s intended to help. The simple and logical way to fix it is to pin $1,300 in funds to each of those children, and let this money follow the child to the school they attend, any accredited school, public or private.”

On his support of a proposal by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) pushing a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

“For eight years as governor I balanced Tennessee’s budget, and other states balance their budgets, so it’s nonsense that Washington can’t do the same. We must make tough decisions now to rein in out-of-control spending and fix the debt, and a balanced budget amendment would be a good step.”

On his support of the Senate version of the federal budget by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.):

“The Ryan budget is a serious proposal that addresses our country’s most serious problem: the automatic, out-of-control spending increases on Medicare and other entitlements that are driving the federal debt.”

Senator Alexander also supported:

An amendment by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to defund Obamacare.

An amendment by Senator John Thune (R-SD) to permanently repeal the estate tax.

An amendment by Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) to prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

An amendment by Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) to reform the current budget and appropriations system by converting it from an annual process to a two-year cycle.