House Republicans are moving through the budget reconciliation process to push their second major budget package through because Democrats "vote no on everything," meaning GOP leaders don't expect to reach the 60-vote threshold to pass the legislation in the Senate, Rep. Mike Haridopolos told Newsmax on Wednesday.
"We know we'll never get 60 votes in the Senate for common sense legislation that we're working on," the Florida Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early."
He said the new "2.0" proposal is centered on allowing people to keep more of their money to make decisions about major expenses such as home purchases, education, and healthcare.
Haridopolos pointed to what he described as signs of economic improvement, including lower gasoline prices, interest rates that have "ticked down a little bit," and gains in retirement accounts.
"The other great news is your 401(k) is up because everybody knows that America is the place to invest once again, because we're reducing not just taxes but regulations as well," he said.
He also criticized Democrats' approach to affordability, saying they want to "send your money to Washington" and claiming their policies were responsible for rising costs.
"They have no plan other than using the word affordability," he said.
The interview also touched on immigration enforcement and a statement from House Progressive Caucus leaders saying they would oppose funding bills that support immigration enforcement until reforms are enacted, including an end to what they called "militarized policing practices."
Haridopolos said such opposition would undermine public safety and claimed Democrat immigration policies have contributed to crimes committed by people in the country illegally.
"It's just a tragic situation where their own policies let criminals out of jail who are illegal aliens," he said.
He also criticized sanctuary city policies and accused Democrats of placing political considerations over enforcement.
"It's all about politics for them. Nothing about policy," he said.
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