House Budget Committee members are still debating key final details of the fiscal blueprint for Republicans’ massive domestic policy bill, with GOP leaders still hoping to release text of a budget resolution in the coming hours.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, arriving at the Capitol Wednesday, told reporters he still expects that text to be released to the public “this morning.”
“I think we’re going to be on track to have budget markup tomorrow,” Scalise said.
But he acknowledged it’s not ready quite yet.
Key Budget Committee members continue to debate the final range of spending cuts to target in the plan, according to two people familiar with the ongoing talks. GOP leaders have pushed for around $1.5 trillion in cuts over 10 years, more than what many swing-district Republicans would like, while hard-liners want $2 trillion or more.
Some fiscal hawks are also still pushing to constrain how much money the Ways and Means Committee will have to extend the 2017 tax cuts and pay for a raft of President Donald Trump’s other tax promises. Some key hard-liners want the Ways and Means number to account for rescinding a swath of Inflation Reduction Act tax credits — including biofuel incentives that Republicans in farm districts are fiercely protecting.
