Will Senate GOP Leadership Join House GOP And Produce Own Budget? Nope.
So now that the House GOP has produced its own alternative budget, will the Senate GOP do the same and produce its own version, making the dream of a Republican budget alternative become a reality?
No.
The Senate GOP leadership’s office confirms that despite the House’s efforts, Senate Republican leaders won’t produce an alternative of their own, and will stick to producing amendments to the Obama budget. That’s not exactly a vote of confidence in the budget produced by House GOPers, and appears to render it moot — yet another sign of the fractures and tensions among Congressional Republicans.
This morning, House and Senate GOPers held a big meeting on the Hill designed to project budget unity. But when asked if the Senate GOP leadership would follow the House, Don Stewart, a spokesperson for GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell, said: “We are working on several amendments, and as Senator Gregg said last week, if they accept our amendments, we’ll have one helluva substitute.”
In other words, the only substitute budget coming from the GOP Senate leadership will be via amendments to the Obama one.
In an allusion to past remarks by Dem Senator Kent Conrad, McConnell’s spokesperson continued: “As Chairman Conrad said, ‘the majority has the responsibility to offer a budget’ and ‘we will offer a series of alternatives by amendment.’” Amendments only.
Meanwhile, Senator Judd Gregg, the ranking Republican on the Senate budget committee, also confirmed that the Senate GOP wouldn’t be following the House GOP’s lead. On MSNBC a few moments ago, Gregg praised the House budget as a “very serious attempt” to get spending under control.
But when asked if he would support efforts to create a Senate alternative, he demurred, saying that it would be a “more practical approach” to “improve” the Dem budget with amendments.
So, suffice it to say that the House GOP budget doesn’t have the support of the Senate GOP leadership, and as a result, isn’t going anywhere.
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Whats the deal with the rumor that McCain is going to offer and alternative budget all on his own?
sg — trying to nail that down. even so, today on MSNBC Judd Gregg all but said that it would be a non-starter …
That’s just the way I prefer my GOP budgets: dead BEFORE arrival! The GOP circular firing squad continues apace. McConnell and Boehner to their rank and file: “OK, boys — Ready! FIRE! Aim!” And all this while Barack and Michelle continue to dazzle Europe and the rest of the world. I find this is a great time to be alive, and to be an American.