Washington-The Budget Committee of the House of Representatives controlled by Republicans voted along the party lines to advance a massive budgetary plane to cut taxes and expenses for billions of dollars.
The 21-16 vote after a marathon day session sends the budget resolution to the complete camera, where Republicans must unify their thin majority to approve it, and instruct the committees to prepare a mass package to approve the agenda of the President Donald Trump on immigration, taxes and more.
The budget requires up to $ 4.5 billion in new deficits through tax cuts, which Republicans plan to use to extend Trump’s fiscal law and approve other pieces of their fiscal agenda.
It requires $ 1.5 billion in expenses, with an additional warning: the house package must include $ 2 billion in cuts to the “mandatory” part of the federal expenditure, which covers programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and food benefits known as SNAP , or $ 4.5 The amount of billions of tax exemptions must be reduced by a proportional amount.
“This budget resolution provides the fiscal framework for what will be one of the most consistent laws in modern history and the main legislative vehicle to deliver in the first agenda of President Trump America,” said the president of the Budget Committee, Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, in a statement. “The era of the wasteful, alarm and armed government is over.”
“It is time to meet this generational moment and join President Trump to make the difficult decisions that our republic preserve for our children and grandchildren,” said Arrington after the approval of the measure. “This is our last and best photo to do it.”
Republicans rejected a lot of democratic amendments aimed at prohibiting cuts to certain programs used by the middle class and asking for higher taxes to rich people and corporations.
The Senate Budget Committee approved a conflicting budget resolution on Wednesday that moves on the issue of taxes, presenting a dispute that the party will have to resolve before a bill can be approved.
The Democrats criticized the budget resolution of the Republican Party of the Chamber, saying that it would damage the middle class.
“This budget moves away from the medical care of millions while delivering $ 4.5 billion in tax exemptions, the overwhelming majority of which are allocated to billionaires and rich corporations,” said representative Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., The main Democrat In the Budget Committee. “It cuts at least $ 230 billion of food assistance programs at a time when edible prices remain at maximum record. And he proposes, and I hope that each American listens to this, proposes at least $ 880 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Health Care Law at a low price. … all so that billionaires can even obtain a greater reduction of taxes they do not need and working people in this country cannot afford to give them. “
What comes later for the budget of the Republican party?
Although the Republicans succeeded in the committee on Thursday, the greatest obstacle, which actually writes and approved a massive bill, border security, military and energy policy, is yet to come.
Before the vote, the representative Andy Harris, R-MD., President of the Freedom Caucus of the House of Representatives of the Right, said that an amendment offered in the marking of the Budget Committee “will allow the flexibility for the cuts for the cuts of taxes are even higher if the reduction of the deficit is – if there is more deficit reduction in the bill. ”
Harris said he believed that the entire Freedom Caucus would support the budget resolution with the amendment included. He said it was an agreement reached with the leadership of the Republican party.
“If you exceed $ 2 billion in reducing the deficit in those other committees, you can increase the amount of tax cuts,” said Harris. The budget resolution as written says that it had the objective of reducing mandatory expenditure by $ 2 billion. The conservatives had been pressing for a higher number than that.
On the contrary, if they cannot find cuts worth $ 2 billion, they will have to spend less than $ 4.5 billion on taxes, a figure that the president of the House and Media Committee, Jason Smith, R-MO. He has warned that it is not enough is not enough to achieve all its objectives. And the value cuts of value of $ 2 billion can be difficult to achieve without touching Medicaid and other programs against poverty.
The representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, a conservative hard alineator in the Budget Committee, snuggled with the president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, Republican of the LA-LA.
“I think it is an important model, and we have been trying to get to that, where it is a dollar type per dollar,” he said.
However, that structure could create problems later for Republicans of the House of Representatives when they write the policy. The budget resolution, which both chambers must adopt, is simply the first step.
“I think many members are putting too much publicity.” “Simply unlock the ability to make the next step. And the next step is where we can disagree more substantially. ”
Republicans in high -tax blue states such as New York want It is safe for salt. Being approached, but made it clear that it will not vote for a bill that does not include salt relief.
It is not clear if the measure creates enough space for Trump’s other priorities, such as putting an end to taxes on tips, payment of extra hours and social security benefits, all of which would globalize national debt.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, RN.y. About the next stage: especially when it comes to cuts.
“$ 4.5 billion does not leave much space for the president’s priorities,” Malliotakis said. “I am also worried about any deeper cuts to Medicaid, out of pursuing the way it is poorly managed and some of the waste and abuse and ensure that we have work requirements and ensure that non -citizens are not eligible. Out of that, I do not want to see cuts that damage my hospitals or my organizations that work with disabled for development. ”
When it comes to salt, Malliotakis said, she constantly reminds leaders about tax priority. He even gave Smith some “salty candies” on Thursday as a Valentine’s gift.
