Alabama's U.S. Senators are making the rounds of local constituents, pitching the budget cuts that are likely to come up in the budget debate that begins this month. Sen. Jeff Sessions tells The Dothan Eagle in a phone interview that Congress can't afford to fail to pass a budget, as they did last year. And he said that the budget freeze President Obama mentioned in the State of the Union Address isn't enough. Significant cuts are needed, he said.

At a chat with constituents in Ashland, Sen. Reichard Shelby echoes that theme. He also predicts that it will take four or five years for the economy to get back to the level of health most people expect.