As House Budget Chairman John Kasich, R-Ohio, searches for 218 votes for his budget plan, he is catching a significant amount of heat from some House Republicans--most notably appropriators--who say he is overstepping his power as budget chairman.
"The budget resolution is supposed to be a document that is essentially numbers," Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said today. Rogers said Kasich is developing a budget plan that is too "proscriptive," adding that the budget should set overall spending levels and not be too specific.
Rogers' sentiments were echoed by Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston, R-La., who said he met with Kasich Tuesday, but still does not have the specifics of his plan. Livingston said budget writers should not try to appropriate, authorize and take the jurisdiction of the House Ways and Means Committee. "That's always been the problem with the budget resolution," he added.
Following a meeting today of the House Republican Conference, Rep. Michael Castle of Delaware, a key GOP moderate, said Kasich has made some changes to his plan based on discussions with members. He said he believes Kasich has eliminated about $14 billion in cuts, including eliminating cuts to the space station.
Castle said he remains concerned with the Kasich plan. "Is it reasonable to do something that's not going to [ultimately] happen?" Castle asked.
Kasich acknowledged he is changing the proposal, but declined to provide specifics. "I don't know where we're going to end up on this," he said--adding that, with the small margin Republicans have in the House, he is not sure what can pass.
Kasich said the plan still proposes elimination of the Commerce Department, but was less definite about whether Republicans could approve a plan to eliminate the Energy Department. "I don't know that we can get both done," he said.
Kasich also said he recognizes the problems any budget causes appropriators. "The budget also represents what we're going to do in the appropriations bills," he said. "People have to realize that if they're going to vote for a budget resolution, they're going to have to vote for appropriations bills."
He later added, "The Appropriations Committee is very concerned that we've set something that we can't achieve." He said that this fall Republicans are going to have to be "very united" to pass appropriations measures that follow GOP principles.
Kasich acknowledged the "endgame" may result in the status quo if President Clinton wants to increase spending while Republicans are pushing to cut spending. He added, however, it would be a mistake for Republicans "to buy our way out of town" by agreeing to increased spending in the rush to adjourn. Asked about concerns that he is being too proscriptive, Kasich said, "It's the same old fight and I'm sensitive to it."
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