(The following article by Steven T. Dennis was posted on the Congressional Quarterly website on November 15.)
WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders vowed Tuesday not to leave for the Thanksgiving recess until they complete a deal on their $50.5 billion budget savings package, though there were few signs of progress as leaders met to plot strategy with officials from the White House, the Republican National Committee and budget staffers.
“We definitely would stay on Saturday to do budget reconciliation,” Majority Leader Roy Blunt, R-Mo., told reporters Tuesday. “We’re going to be here as long as it takes this week and we’ve told our members that, to get the bill done.”
Republican leaders put off a vote on the budget savings package (HR 4241) on Nov. 10 because they had not secured the 218 votes necessary to pass it on the House floor. The fissures in the GOP that led to the postponement – drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the size of cuts to various social programs – appear no closer to being filled.
A number of GOP moderates have yet to be won over by leadership despite weeks of consultations. “The problems with this bill are pretty widespread and I’m not sure there is a winning equation there,” said Rep. John M. McHugh, R-N.Y. “In the past I’ve had one or two issues that we’ve been able to work out.”
Nonetheless, leaders expressed hope that they would reach a deal that would give them the votes for the cuts. “We’re going to be successful with this,” Blunt said. “We just needed more time.”
Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, attended the meeting with House GOP leaders and staff members. “I’m confident we will” finish the savings package, Mehlman said. “I’m doing what I can.”
Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, and Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, R-Calif., both said they still hope to keep to their party leadership’s target of $50 billion in net savings over five years, despite opposition from a number of moderates to voting for a package of cuts that large.
“It’s still our goal to complete it and stay above $50 billion and keep the reform provisions in,” Nussle said. He said stripping out food stamp cuts or other provisions from the bill was “pure speculation.”
Members of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), who have been the driving force for deeper cuts, met Tuesday night to discuss their strategy. “Nobody wants to go into next year with the record we have and another failure to restrain spending,” said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., before the meeting.
RSC Chairman Mike Pence, R-Ind., said he did not know if RSC members would agree to cuts below $50 billion, but said “as large a reconciliation package as possible is essential.”
He added that he also was growing optimistic that the House would rescind funding for controversial bridges in Alaska that were funded by the recently enacted highway bill (PL 109-59) The projects have drawn considerable negative publicity nationwide as examples of profligate spending by Congress.
“I’m growing cautiously optimistic that we might do like the heroes in the ‘Bridge [on] the River Kwai,’ ” Pence said. “I think there is a national consensus that we should blow the bridge.”
Pence hinted at consequences if the package of cuts fails to be passed. “I think it is the view of most House conservatives that if we can’t take this modest step at fiscal discipline things could be a lot different here in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, leaders are moving forward with plans for another one-month stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), according to a Senate GOP aide. The current CR, which has been keeping government programs operating since the new fiscal year began on Oct. 1, expires Nov. 18. All appropriations bills except defense are moving toward resolution this week. A package of reallocations of Hurricane Katrina spending and rescissions to prior appropriations likely will not happen this week.
Also, an across-the-board cut to discretionary programs proposed by House leaders and strongly backed by the RSC remains “a long shot” according to Senate Budget Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H. Gregg said such a cut could be considered only in the context of a deal on the budget savings plan.
Susan Ferrechio and Liriel Higa contributed to this story.