They never stick to the budget anyway
Senate OK of $2.36T Budget Shifts Spotlight to House
By Alan Fram
Associated Press Writer
Friday, March 12, 2004; 4:34 AM
WASHINGTON -- Senate approval of a $2.36 trillion budget easing President Bush's tax-cutting and spending plans shifts the spotlight to the House, where a similar package has so far bounced along a rocky road.
The Republican-led Senate approved its package early Friday on a mostly party-line 51-45 vote. Though it mostly follows Bush's vision of defense increases, restrained domestic spending and gradual deficit reduction, it ignores his call for permanent tax cuts he considers the heart of his plan for reviving the economy.
Like the Senate plan, the fiscal outline debated Thursday by the GOP-run House Budget Committee has smaller tax cuts, less spending and faster reduction of record deficits than Bush proposed. That underscores an election-year desire by Republicans to show action against shortfalls expected to approach an unprecedented half trillion dollars this year.
"We have to start that long journey with a first step, and that's what today allows us to do," said House budget panel chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa.
Nussle, who ran into objections from GOP defense and veterans advocates as he crafted his plan, hit more problems Thursday.
They were resolved -- for now -- when Nussle said his committee would approve new procedures making it harder for Congress to increase spending not paid for with other savings. The dispute forced him to delay final passage of the budget and a separate bill creating the procedural hurdles until next week.
Congress' budget sets ceilings for revenues and expenditures, but its details are only advisory. Actual tax and spending changes are made in later bills.
