House

House Dems fail to agree on budget resolution

by Niv Elis - 04/01/19 6:43 PM ET

House Democrats on Monday indicated they will not put forth a budget resolution this year, the latest example of divisions between the moderate and progressive wings over spending plans for defense, climate, health care and other major policy issues.

Midnight is the party’s self-imposed deadline for presenting a budget resolution, a nonbinding document that is often used for messaging to highlight a party’s agenda and priorities.

{mosads}House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) previously said the proposed budget resolution would have to be released on Monday to ensure a committee vote before the April recess.

In lieu of a resolution, Democrats said they will introduce their proposal to raise spending caps.

Democrats, who retook the House this year after eight years in the minority, have dismissed the idea that failing to reach an agreement on a resolution is a sign of disunity within their ranks or an inability to govern.

But Republicans quickly pounced on the news.

“House Democrats are in disarray,” said Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), the ranking member on the House Budget Committee.

“Some are advocating for tax hikes and defense spending cuts. Some are proposing multitrillion-dollar programs that will bust the federal budget, while others are raising concerns over our soaring national debt,” Womack said. “Their agenda is so full of contradictions that they’re unable to govern.”

Democrats have argued that budget resolutions may be more meaningful to Washington insiders than to voters and say they don’t expect a backlash as long as they focus on passing bills on health care, climate change, gun violence prevention and other legislative priorities.

House Democrats on Tuesday will release details of their proposal to raise statutory spending caps, which will set the stage for the more crucial 2020 spending fight.

President Trump proposed allowing spending caps to drop to levels outlined in the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA), a law that was meant to force both parties to reach compromise by instituting harsh reductions to both defense and nondefense spending.

Trump is advocating for adding roughly $100 billion to a defense fund that is not governed by the statutory caps.

Senate Republicans, who decided to forgo their own budget resolution for 2019, passed a 2020 resolution last week that adhered to the BCA caps.

On Tuesday, without the help of a full budget resolution, Democrats will make their counteroffer, which is expected to propose higher caps for both categories, with extra increases put toward domestic spending.

Tags Donald Trump John Yarmuth Steve Womack