A group of conservative House Republicans unveiled this week a budget that would stave off fiscal disaster by curbing federal spending $12 trillion over ten years.
But the plan’s biggest opponent isn’t congressional Democrats. It’s Republican leaders.
The conservative House Study Committee published its annual alternate budget proposal.
Titled “A Framework for Unified Conservatism,” it outlines proposed federal spending for fiscal year 2019 and beyond.
“Curbing spending is the only way to control our deficits and ballooning debt. Without resolute action now, we run the risk of an unstoppable debt spiral and ultimately a sovereign debt crisis. History warns us that countries that bankrupt themselves aren’t around very long,” said Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman Tom McClintock. “The RSC budget points the way back to solvency and prosperity, but every day we delay, our choices become harder. One thing is clear: inaction is not an option.”
The plan reduces spending by more than $12.4 trillion compared to current law over ten years, balances the budget in 8 years and cuts or eliminates many programs that fall outside of Article I legislative authority.
But despite curbing spending, balancing the budget and committing entirely to popular conservative principles, the plan is all but dead on arrival, thanks to opposition from Republican leaders.
“The RSC offers its own budget blueprint every year to give fiscal hawks a more conservative alternative to whatever budget resolution the House Budget Committee puts forward,” The Hill reports. “While the RSC’s austere budget plan stands little chance of being adopted by the full House, it typically at least gets a House floor vote to appease conservative members of the GOP conference.”
However, there may not even be a vote on it this year, as Republican leaders may not hold any votes on a budget.
“(T)here are growing doubts on Capitol Hill about whether the GOP will adopt any budget resolution this year — something that Republicans repeatedly criticized Democrats for in the past,” The Hill reports.
“It would be an inexcusable dereliction of duty for the House Budget Committee to fail to produce a budget,” McClintock tells The Hill. “I’m disappointed and embarrassed that it’s not even begun that work.”