By David Morgan
WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. Congress forged ahead on Thursday with a $95 billion budget plan to meet President Donald Trump’s demands for new defense funding for the Iran war, farm assistance and a sweeping overhaul of voting requirements ahead of the November midterm elections.
A Republican-controlled budget panel in the U.S. House of Representatives approved the resolution on Thursday, clearing it for a full House vote as early as next week. If passed, it would pave the way for a special budget reconciliation bill intended to clear the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes needed for most legislation in that chamber.
That could enable Republicans, who hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, to bypass Democratic opposition and advance legislation directing $60 billion for defense, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion for agriculture, and $10 billion to enact Trump’s signature voter ID bill, the SAVE America Act, over the next decade. But it was too early to say whether a House reconciliation bill would qualify under strict Senate rules or even garner a simple majority.
“We’re not going to get any help from our Democrat colleagues to do what I believe are … critical things,” budget committee chair Jodey Arrington, a Texas Republican, told his fellow panel members, who approved the resolution for full House consideration in a 20-14 party-line vote.
Democrats criticized the measure for not addressing soaring prices for gasoline, food and other products that voters say is their top issue. “The American people know that this is a failed presidency, and this has been a failed Republican majority,” said Representative Brendan Boyle, the committee’s top Democrat.
House Republican leaders hope to pass the blueprint as early as next week. But it was not clear that the chamber’s narrow Republican majority could advance the measure. Earlier on Thursday, the House was unable to pass a veterans benefits bill because of opposition from Republican hardliners.
In the Senate, the blueprint faces likely opposition from defense hawks who want more Pentagon spending, deficit hawks who want spending cuts to pay for the outlays and others who fear that Trump’s partisan voter ID bill could hamper efforts to win the November midterm elections.
The SAVE America Act, which Trump calls his No. 1 legislative priority, lacks the votes to pass the Senate as a standalone bill, given vehement opposition from Democrats who say it would disenfranchise millions of Americans. Republicans intend to use reconciliation to offer states grant money as an incentive to require voters to show photo ID at polling places and proof of citizenship to register to vote, and to turn over state voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security.
AMENDMENTS DEFEATED
Republicans defeated 14 Democratic amendments to advance party priorities including reinstating healthcare, food assistance, educational funding cut by previous bills, curbing Trump’s immigration crackdown, revoking Trump tariffs and eliminating spending on the Iran war.
The defense segment is intended to help fund the Iran war, replenish U.S. military weapons stockpiles depleted by the Middle East conflict and boost military readiness, according to Republican lawmakers.
“This budget resolution is a poorly planned, poorly drafted backdoor deal to pay for President Trump’s decision to start a war with Iran. It’s irresponsible … and we see it played out every single day on the news,” said Democratic Representative Becca Balint of Vermont.
The resolution contains no offsets for the new $95 billion in spending. But Republican committee staff said it would reduce overall spending by capping discretionary spending.
The resolution would authorize spending legislation to help U.S. farmers facing higher fuel and fertilizer costs from the war.
(Reporting by David Morgan. Editing by Michael Learmonth and Sanjeev Miglani)
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