Two Years In a Row?

Republicans blew past their April 15 deadline months ago, and they are still haven’t proposed a budget for fiscal year 2018. What’s holding them up? Their deep internal divisions, of course. Republicans didn’t pass a budget last year, and prospects are starting to dim this year as their conference continues to feud among themselves. It’s not looking great for the former Budget Committee Chairman turned Speaker, and Republicans control all levers of government so they only have themselves to blame. From Politico:

“House GOP efforts to write a fiscal 2018 budget are deadlocked amid Republican infighting, a divide that threatens to undermine President Donald Trump’s agenda by stalling tax reform and delaying progress on appropriations.”

“The House Budget Committee is months behind its usual timeline in releasing and marking up its annual fiscal blueprint. While the panel said it hoped to release the budget by early June, conference-wide bickering over priorities and spending levels have all but ground the process to a halt.”

“‘A lot of us are really, really frustrated right now by our inability to move,’ said Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), who sits on both the budget and appropriations committees. ‘It’s a lot of divisive issues within the committee — which is also a reflection of the conference — that has dogged us for a long time… There is absolutely no clarity into what we’re doing.’”

“‘Right now, a budget cannot pass in the House of Representatives,’ said Freedom Caucus ringleader Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) at a Friday Heritage Foundation event. ‘It can’t.’”

“With all parties showing an unwillingness to cave, a darker mood has settled over the conference.Republicans railed for years about the importance of budgeting and fiscal responsibility. But now in control of Washington's key levers, their inability to pass a budget represents a huge embarrassment.”