House begins budget debate

The House completed its first phase of consideration of the budget for the next fiscal year on Tuesday ahead of an uncertain final outcome this week.

Members debated the budget for three hours Tuesday afternoon. Another hour of debate remains for Wednesday, along with two hours and 40 minutes’ worth of amendments.

{mosads}The House will consider a total of six, or possibly seven, budget alternatives. Three will come from groups within the House minority: the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and House Democrats.

In addition, the House will vote on the original GOP budget resolution reported out of the Budget Committee last week and a modified version with enhanced funding for defense. GOP leaders are wagering that the alternative measure with extra funding for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), a Pentagon reserve fund, will win the most votes.

The conservative Republican Study Committee will also offer a budget that balances in five years and cut $7.1 trillion over the next decade.

Lastly, a House Republican may mockingly offer President Obama’s budget. The House rejected it last year by a vote of 2-413.

In the event two budget alternatives receive the same number of alternative votes, the last one to receive a vote will be adopted.

During floor debate on Tuesday, defense hawk Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) implored colleagues to vote against the original budget authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.) and support the modified version.

“We can’t pass multiple budgets. We have to have one agenda coming out of this House,” Turner said.

Democrats questioned the use of an obscure rule, known as “Queen-of-the-Hill,” that injects unpredictability into the process by allowing whichever budget alternative accrues the most votes to win.

“The contortions that the Republican Party has to go through, in order to meet the basic standard of trying to govern the country, it’s mind-blowing,” said Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). 

Last votes on the House GOP budget are expected late Wednesday afternoon.