Senate Budget Committee Chairman Jim Sasser was first elected to the Senate in 1976. He is an attorney in Memphis, a Vanderbilt graduate, and a Marine Reservist. In addition to the Budget Committee, Mr. Sasser sits on the Senate Appropriations and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committees.
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Although its overall success has been limited, the Senate Budget Committee has led the fight to control federal spending and reduce the budget deficit. The Committee's annual task is to prepare budget resolutions with enough political support to resist major changes on the Senate floor. The Committee has a strong tradition of bipartisan cooperation and its members serve continuously (House Budget Committee members can serve no longer than six years). However, like its House counterpart, the Budget Committee has only limited power to enforce its spending decisions.
