Conservatives in the House announced Monday night they are unwilling to get behind the Republican Fiscal Year 2017 budget, which is set to be marked up by the House Budget Committee Wednesday.
Following a meeting held by the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) Monday evening, the group of influential conservatives said the proposal does not go far enough to offset the spending hikes agreed upon by President Barack Obama and former Speaker [crscore]John Boehner[/crscore] last October.
“From the beginning of the budget process, the House Freedom Caucus has called for a Republican budget that shows the American people we are serious about addressing Washington’s out-of-control spending problem. Our Members have put forward multiple proposals that would rein in spending through real budget reforms,” the HFC said in a statement released to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “House leadership has continually asked the Republican conference to support President Obama’s budget levels, even though the national debt passed the $19 trillion mark in January, and the Congressional Budget Office has reported that the federal deficit increased by $105 billion this year.”
The House Ways and Means Committee introduced a package of debt-reducing tax breaks Thursday in an attempt to gain more support, but according to Rep. [crscore]Dave Brat[/crscore] of Virginia, it doesn’t come close to where they would like things to be.
Speaker of the House [crscore]Paul Ryan[/crscore] has advocated for members to pass a budget that reflects the party’s vision but still falls in line with the legislation passed last year, allowing Congress to avoid another continuing resolution or omnibus spending bill. He made the case that conservatives shouldn’t give up the chance to pass appropriations bills, a balanced budget, entitlement reform and reconciliation for just a $40 million increase after defense spending is taken into account.
“As a group, we have decided that we cannot support the current budget at the $1.07 trillion level for discretionary spending. We continue to hope that we can work with the House Republican conference to write a conservative budget that reduces spending while prioritizing our defense needs and the priorities of the American people,” the HRC statement said.
Leadership in both chambers have called for a return to regular order in the budget process.
“Passing a budget always requires teamwork, and we continue to work with any members who want to help find a solution,” Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong told TheDCNF.
Senate Majority Leader [crscore]Mitch McConnell[/crscore] has made it clear the upper chamber won’t pass any legislation that doesn’t meet the numbers in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.
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