GOP's Budget 'Death Knell': A Roundup
Wall Street Journal: Return to GOP Dysfunction?
"For weeks the House GOP has been conducting another internal debate about the best fiscal strategy. Congress is supposed to pass the annual budget resolution by April 15 that sets spending targets for 2017. But backbenchers and outside groups continue to rebel against last year's 2016-17 budget deal that former House Speaker John Boehner negotiated before his exit… The resolution thus may lack a 218-vote majority, which could potentially negate the agreement by the end of the year.
"… The result of either failing to pass a resolution or passing a resolution in the House that can't pass the Senate would probably be to lapse back into the dysfunction…"
"An effort by House Republican leaders to push forward a fiscal 2017 budget resolution suffered a major setback Monday night, when the conservative Freedom Caucus bucked party leaders to declare its opposition to the plan…
"The decision likely dooms efforts to pass the current version of the budget framework in the full House, since it means the GOP probably would be unable to muster the 218 votes needed to secure passage of a partisan plan that Democrats are sure to oppose. The Freedom Caucus position means at least 30 of its roughly 40 members voted against the plan in their closed-door meeting Monday night."
Huffington Post: House Conservatives Say No To Republican Budget
"Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus said Monday night they would not support the federal budget deal proposed by House Republican leadership, putting the spending plan -- and the entire appropriations process for the year -- in serious jeopardy…
"At least 30 members of the roughly 40-member Freedom Caucus voted to formally oppose the budget. Those 30-some members are vital for the Republican budget. Without their support, the document would lack a majority of House votes…
"If there is no budget, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has intimated there won't be appropriations bills. A return to the regular legislative process for appropriations was a key tenet of Ryan's pitch for the speakership."
POLITICO: House Freedom Caucus to break with leadership on budget
Their opposition will likely guarantee the budget's doom.
The House Freedom Caucus will oppose a $1.07 trillion budget backed by Republican leaders, likely assuring that the fiscal package will fail if put up for a vote on the House floor.
Leaders of the conservative group said Monday night that they plan to vote against the package because it does not go far enough to cut spending. It's a crippling blow for GOP leaders, who repeatedly said passing a budget was a major goal for 2016.
Roll Call: Freedom Caucus Position Sounds Death Knell on Budget
As the House Budget Committee prepares to mark up a budget resolution, the conservative Freedom Caucus announced Monday it has enough votes to block the measure's passage on the House floor.
The Budget Committee sent out notice of the mark up less than hour after the Freedom Caucus gathered Monday night at Tortilla Coast and took an official position against the budget.
The Hill: Freedom Caucus votes to block GOP budget plans
The House Freedom Caucus on Monday voted to oppose the House GOP's budget strategy, throwing up a major hurdle to the party's attempt to begin passing spending bills…
The conservative group said it opposed the plan presented by the House Budget Committee earlier that night, ending a weeks-long attempt by GOP leaders to unite the party behind a budget blueprint.
The move cuts off a crucial voting bloc that the party needs to begin passing spending bills, a key priority of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).