Republicans are pushing forward with the budget process in the House of Representatives, hopeful that they can move in a positive direction and pass a resolution by the end of next week.
“We’re actually way ahead of schedule,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told reporters Thursday. He went on to state that with a new presidency, such as that of President Donald Trump, there will be a delayed budget process.
While the House Committee on the Budget’s markup of the resolution has already been delayed twice, it will likely take place next week.
This markup did not come without hard work and persistence, though, as leaders attempted to please an ideologically diverse Republican House caucus.
“[House Budget Committee Chair Diane Black] has just been just relentless in talking to everybody and trying to get everybody’s input,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida on Wednesday, a senior member of the House Budget Committee. “I can’t speak for her, but I think she’s at a point where it’s as good as it’s going to get and we’ve got to move forward.”
The House Freedom Caucus has been the main sect of Republicans difficult to satisfy. The group of about 30 staunch conservatives has been eyeing spending cuts and clashed with more moderate Republicans on the issue throughout the budget process.
House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows of North Carolina said that he would prefer to see cuts in mandatory spending somewhere between $200 billion and $400 billion.
While no numbers are set in stone, a GOP aide told The Daily Caller News Foundation Tuesday that cuts will likely end up being closer to $200 billion.
Democrats, on the other hand, do not seem to be as confident about the state of the House budget. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer told reporters Wednesday that he believes the budget process is “broken.”
“I think the process is broken on the premise that ideology and political posturing is more important than substantive treatment of the allocation of resources to priorities,” Hoyer said.
The Democratic leader also spoke to the ideological fractures within the GOP.
“The Republicans apparently continue to be such a deeply divided party that they cannot agree even on a budget,” Hoyer added.
Diaz-Balart, however, told reporters that he believes Republicans have enough votes in committee to get the budget resolution moving to the House floor.
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