A possible Republican budget reconciliation package would provide up to $60 billion to the Defense Department. Pictured is an aerial view of the Pentagon. (Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brittany A. Chase/Department of Defense)
WASHINGTON – Republicans on the U.S. House Budget Committee approved their budget resolution Thursday, marking a petite step forward in the complicated process that could allow the party to pass a third-party bill.
The 20-14 vote followed hours of debate over Democratic amendments aimed at rolling back parts of previous Republican packages and changing how the upcoming process will work. None of the Democratic amendments were approved.
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar and Democratic Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett did not vote.
House Republican leaders are likely to advance the budget resolution next week before the chamber heads into its five-week August recess, now expected for July 23.
The Senate will then meet for another two weeks before the summer break begins. However, it is not clear whether Republican leadership in that chamber will bring the budget measure to a vote.
Procedure for allocating funds for defense and agricultural operations
Both houses of Congress must pass a budget resolution to begin the budget reconciliation process, which will allow them to pass another bill without Democratic support.
House Republicans said during committee debate they hoped another package would provide up to $95 billion. This currently unreleased measure would strengthen aid to farmers, provide more funding to the Defense Department and implement parts of a voter ID law they have dubbed the SAVE America Act.
“We will use reconciliation to do what we believe will save this country for the future of our children and for the rest of this century,” said Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. “I can’t think of a more important thing to work on.”
Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle, the committee’s ranking member, criticized Republicans for not focusing on how to make life more affordable for ordinary Americans.
“Over the last 18 months, we’ve seen where Republican priorities lie: trillions of dollars in tax cuts for billionaires, tens of billions of dollars for war and absolutely nothing for the American people,” Boyle said.
Democratic changes were rejected
Democrats introduced more than a dozen amendments during the debate, including one from Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont that would have removed instructions for the Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
The Republican budget resolution, once approved by both chambers, would allow the Armed Services Committee to spend up to $60 billion and the Intelligence Panel up to $13 billion.
“My colleagues are using the deficit as an excuse to excuse the increasing hunger and poverty in this country,” Balint said. “They preach fiscal responsibility, and yet when it comes to approving tens of billions of dollars in additional Pentagon spending, they are a rubber stamp.”
Republican Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan spoke against the proposal, saying the additional defense money was “necessary to support our troops and provide them with ammunition and everything else they need to fight, win and return home safely.”
In addition to providing direction for increased defense spending, the budget resolution would allow the Agriculture Committee to draft a bill that would provide up to $12 billion in additional aid to farmers.
The administration committee could spend up to $10 billion, likely to create a grant program for states that adopt voter identification requirements.
