House Gives its Approval to Budget Resolution

On May 17, the House approved, 218-210, its version of the FY2007 budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 376). The Senate approved its version of the resolution (S. Con. Res. 83) on March 16 (See The Source, 3/17/06). The House Budget Committee approved the bill on March 29 (See The Source, 3/31/2006), but action was delayed for weeks over domestic spending levels and budget rules. Final approval came after the Republican leadership promised moderates an additional $3.1 billion for health and education programs to be offset by unspecified cuts in other programs.

During consideration of the budget resolution, the House rejected the following amendments:

• an amendment by Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) that would have resulted in a budget surplus of $55.4 billion in FY2011. It would have increased funding for education, job training, health, housing, and some national security and veterans programs. Offsets would have been provided by rescinding the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for individuals making more than $200,000 in income, cutting funding for the ballistic missile defense program, and reducing a tax benefit for oil companies, 131-294;
• an amendment by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) that would have resulted in a surplus of $11 billion in FY2011 by eliminating over 150 federal programs and cutting $358 billion through block granting Medicaid, SCHIP and most education and job training programs, and capping Medicare growth. It would have extended the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, provided alternative minimum tax relief, and increased spending for defense and veterans programs, 94-331; and
• an amendment by Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) that would have balanced the budget by FY2012. It would have increased funding for education, health, environmental, veterans, and homeland security programs, and would have reinstated the PAYGO rule requiring offsets for tax cuts and mandatory spending increases, 184-241.