House Republicans huddled on Friday to begin discussing the contours of a budget blueprint congressional leaders want to advance later this month. As they left the meeting, many in Georgia's Republican delegation said they still haven't come down firmly on how to proceed, reflecting the overall temperature of many other GOP lawmakers.
Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., presented the different possible scenarios on the budget as he tried to diffuse a growing rift within the party over how much the government should spend on non-entitlement programs, a category that includes everything from national defense to scientific research and low-income housing programs. The disagreement is over $30 billion extra in funding for those government programs that was approved in October as part of the budget deal then-Speaker John Boehner negotiated on his way out the door with the White House and congressional leaders.
Defense-focused Republicans like having the extra money, since half of it would go to the Pentagon. More establishment-aligned members of the GOP also approve, mainly in the interest of moving forward on government spending bills, a major priority of Ryan’s. (Democrats will only play ball if the budget deal is honored, and their support will be needed if leaders care about moving bills through the Senate.) But members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus oppose the extra money and want to see a budget blueprint that includes lower spending levels.
Barry Loudermilk, one of two Georgia lawmakers in the HFC, said the group met with Ryan last week and is still working through its ideas.
“The discussions aren’t done, we’re still working,” the Cassville Republican said.
Other members of the Georgia delegation were still mulling their options, but several said they were eager to return to regularly moving spending bills.
“Of what was described in there, really the only viable option that we have to getting back to regular order I think is accept the budget that was agreed to by Boehner and the president,” said Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, who emphasized that he was still making up his mind.
Lawrenceville Republican Rob Woodall stressed the importance of being able to move forward with spending bills and noted money could be cut from different federal agencies later on in the process.
“I want to see a budget, and I want to see a budget that balances and I want to see appropriations bills conferenced for the first time in my congressional career,” Woodall said.
House Budget Chairman Tom Price, R-Roswell, who is in charge of writing the budget blueprint, was tight-lipped about his plans when pressed by reporters Friday.
“It was a discussion and people expressed their views about that,” he said of the meeting. Price said he is confident the party could settle on an approach that attracts enough support for passage on the House floor.
“Budgets are always a big challenge and this is no different,” he said. “Maybe a little more difficult this year, but they’re always a challenge.”
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