Infighting stalls budget plan:

America

Conaway

The latest budget push by House GOP leaders has faltered, leaving quarrelling Republicans almost three months behind on their budget work as they head into next week’s recess.

Tuesday’s deadlock is the result of a battle between conservatives demanding greater spending cuts and the committee chairmen who would have to carry them out. As a result, a planned vote this week on the GOP’s latest fiscal blueprint was cancelled before it was officially scheduled.

Conservatives are demanding greater cuts to benefit programs such as food stamps, but are meeting resistance from other Republicans, including Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, who are balking at politically difficult cuts to the program and the possibility of cuts to farm programs.

House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black has forged agreement with the Armed Services panel to increase the Pentagon’s budget by almost $20 billion above President Donald Trump’s already generous increase, with another $10 billion in war costs tacked on.

The annual congressional budget measure sets “top line” levels for the appropriations bills passed by Congress each year and can tee up special filibuster-proof legislation to cut benefit programs and overhaul the tax code. Resolving the GOP differences is a prerequisite for this fall’s planned effort to rewrite the tax code, a top priority of President Donald Trump and GOP leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. (AP)