WASHINGTON — With the schism between House Republicans over the size of the 2017 budget and an abbreviated calendar in Congress, it is likely Congress will enact a continuing resolution to fund the government next fiscal year, according to a senior House appropriator.
"I think that's more likely than not," said Rep. Tom Cole, a key GOP strategist as well as a member of the House Budget Committee and House Appropriations defense subcommittee, who made the remarks on C-Span on March 24.
According to Cole, R-Okla., appropriators will work to move the 12 spending bills to the House floor, contingent upon House leadership and whether the conference is able to pass them. This comes as the House Budget Committee's budget blueprint remains stalled amid opposition from the House GOP's right flank.
"We want something so that we are in position to negotiate on an omnibus," Cole said.
The House Budget Committee's plan would adhere to last year's budget deal between Obama and former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, which set spending at $1.07 trillion. Fiscal hawks in the House Freedom Caucus are calling for a $30 billion cut to match 2011 budget caps eased by the 2015 deal, citing the nation's economic security.
That plan remained in limbo as the House went into recess through April 11. The Senate, in recess since March 18, returns April 4.
Last week, Cole said the budget was unwilling to change much, calling it, "a matter of law." Members of the House Freedom Caucus, he said, "are asking for things that would be difficult for the House speaker and our own leadership to promise."
"There's no way [House Speaker Paul Ryan] can commit to what the Senate will do, let alone the president of the United States will accept," Cole said. "If you thought through the process there is only so much we can do from one chamber."
Cole was optimistic Congress would ultimately pass a budget before the next president takes office.
"We hope whoever becomes the next president, we do them a favor and actually have a functioning government running when they get there," Cole said. "They don't need to be worrying about writing a new budget because we didn't get our job done."
Email: jgould@defensenews.com
Twitter: @reporterjoe
Joe Gould was the senior Pentagon reporter for Defense News, covering the intersection of national security policy, politics and the defense industry. He had previously served as Congress reporter.
