Budget Stalemate Continues
April 30, 2004 - The budget process once again was
thrown into limbo April 28 when House GOP leaders rejected
a proposed compromise on required offsets for tax cuts. The
conference agreement on the FY 2005 budget resolution (S.Con.Res.
95) has been delayed because the House refuses to go along
with Senate language that would subject new tax cuts and mandatory
spending increases to a 60-vote point of order in the Senate
unless they are offset by other revenue increases or spending
cuts. In an effort to break the impasse, Senate leaders proposed
to require offsets for new tax cuts but exempt extensions
of several middle-class tax breaks expiring this year. However,
House leaders rejected the compromise, halting plans to move
the conference report to the House floor on April 29.
If Republicans cannot reach agreement on the budget resolution
soon, the leadership will likely be forced to begin moving
"deeming resolutions" through the House and Senate
to create discretionary spending ceilings and budget enforcement
procedures to permit the FY 2005 appropriations process to
begin. House appropriators can begin sending FY 2005 spending
bills to the House floor beginning May 15 without a final
budget resolution. House Appropriations Chairman C.W. Bill
Young (R-Fla.) has indicated he will proceed under the assumption
that the House will use the $821 billion total for discretionary
spending in the House-passed budget resolution.
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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