House GOP advances budget framework for border, energy and tax priorities for final vote

WASHINGTON — House Republicans advanced a budget framework through a committee on Monday, setting up a final vote to pursue spending priorities for border, defense and energy initiatives as well as to extend President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts package.All nine GOP members of the House Rules Committee approved the blueprint to cut at least $1.5 trillion and as much as $2 trillion in government spending, while capping the total increase to the deficit at $4.5 trillion over the next decade.The cuts will be carried out in the House by the Energy and Commerce Committee, which will seek an $880 billion reduction; the Education and Workforce Committee, which will pursue a $330 billion reduction; and the Agriculture Committee, which will look for $230 billion in cuts.The panels oversee some critical federal benefit programs including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).The resolution also authorizes up to $300 billion in defense and border security funding and raises the US debt ceiling by $4 trillion.The four Democrats on the panel opposed it.“Despite what my Democrat colleagues are likely to assert, it doesn’t contain any specific programmatic assumptions or cuts,” said House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC).“The committees are left to best determine their priorities when meeting their instructions.”Rep.

Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Rules panel, slammed the budget resolution for threatening Medicaid during Monday’s hearing, since the trillions in cuts can likely only be achieved by dipping into social safety net funding.“There is nothing ‘America First’ about this budget,” McGovern said.“This is about gutting programs that help everyday people, so that Republicans can give more handouts to billionaires and special interests.”Rep.

Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), who chairs the House Budget Committee, fired back that former President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda greenlit between $700 bi...