This morning, the House passed this year’s version of Paul Ryan’s budget, which achieves balance within a decade, by a vote of 221 to 207. All but ten Republican members voted in support, the same number of defections as last year. Every Democrat voted no. The GOP no votes came from prospective Senate candidates Paul Broun (Ga.) and Phil Gingrey (Ga.), as well as Representatives Walter Jones (N.C.), Justin Amash (Mich.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), David McKinley (W. Va.), Joe Heck (Nev.), Rick Crawford (Ark.), and Randy Forbes (Va.). Every Democrat voted no.
On the homepage today, I write about the considerable unity among House Republicans — between leadership and conservatives — which has served them well in the budget debate thus far:
On Thursday, House Republicans plan to pass a budget that reaches balance in ten years — decades sooner than previous efforts, and without additional tax increases — with near-unanimous GOP support. Shortly thereafter, they are likely to approve a continuing resolution that locks in federal spending at sequestration levels through September 30. President Obama will sign the continuing resolution, despite his objections and those of congressional Democrats. And Senate Democrats are poised to pass a budget for the first time in nearly four years, so the budget playing field has been leveled at last.
Not bad for a supposedly ragtag bunch — fresh off a demoralizing 2012 defeat, no less — that controls only a third of the federal government.
“When Republicans are unified around conservative principles, we have proven that we can move the White House and the Senate in our direction,” Representative Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) said Wednesday during a forum of conservative members on Capitol Hill. “Just look at what’s happened in the last three months.”
The upcoming showdown over the debt ceiling is sure to test this unity, so stay tuned.
UPDATE: The House also approved, as expected, a continuing resolution funding the government through September 30, which would keep federal spending at the reduced levels under sequestration. The bill passed 318 to 109. Republicans backed the measure 203 to 27; Democrats voted 115 to 82 in favor.