Morning Roundup: GOP Misses Budget Deadline
Speaker Ryan & House Republicans have said that passing a budget is the primary responsibility of Congress, yet they blew past the statutory deadline for passing a budget today and have no plans to bring it to the Floor. A look at this morning’s headlines highlights how deep division and dysfunction within the Republican conference has prevented them from meeting the most basic responsibility of governing:
Associated Press: House GOP to Miss Budget Deadline Amid Divisions in Caucus
“House Republicans are departing Washington having missed a deadline to pass their long-stalled budget and not appearing to be trying very hard to revive it…[House Speaker Paul] Ryan on Thursday seemed ready to all but throw in the towel on this year's budget drive.”
“The House will miss a Friday deadline for adopting its annual budget resolution due to an intra-party fight, delivering a blow to Speaker Paul D. Ryan who pledged to show this year that Republicans could smoothly handle the basic job of funding the government.”
“House conservatives have balked at supporting a budget that includes the spending deal struck last year by Republican and Democratic congressional leaders that would provide an additional $30 billion in funding this year, depriving GOP leaders of the votes needed to adopt the fiscal blueprint.”
“’We’ve been told for three months that [a budget is] crucial,’ said Rep. David Brat (R-Va.). ‘Now today none of that matters.’”
National Journal: As Deadline Arrives, Republicans Look Past Budget
“But the failure to [pass a budget] nonetheless remains an embarrassment, not just because it will be the first time this decade a Republican-led House hasn’t passed a budget, and the failure comes with Ryan, the party’s chief budget architect, at the helm. The struggle to pass a budget is especially pronounced because Republicans cannot rely on Democrats to bail them out.”