Decision to mark up budget blueprint could come next week

House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., Wednesday said he expects House Democratic leaders to decide as soon as next week whether to push through an fiscal 2011 budget resolution.

"I think there will be a decision made next week about whether or not to have a budget resolution," Spratt said, adding that he supports doing a spending plan.

House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., also said Wednesday he wants to pass an fiscal 2011 budget resolution but expects it will be difficult to do in an election year.

"We are discussing it and looking to see how we can do this," Hoyer said. "My belief is that we ought to do a budget."

Spratt said Democratic leaders could decide to just do a "deeming resolution" which would set discretionary spending for fiscal 2011 and forgo a five-year budget resolution.

Democrats have to decide "what's the best way to go," Spratt said.

Leaders are also weighing whether "the membership want a budget resolution; if so, what do they want to have in it and what is the prospect for" passing it, Spratt said.

Spratt said he has spoken with several groups on the budget, including the Blue Dog Coalition, and more talks are expected.

Spratt said if the decision is made not to do a resolution, Congress would still have the tools to responsibly pass the 12 annual appropriations bills. In addition to noting the deeming resolution, Spratt also said pay/go budget rules, which were put into law this year, would require an offset for any increases in mandatory spending or most tax cuts. Four policy items are exempted from pay/go, including an unlimited exemption for extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for the middle class.

Spratt also said the 18 member deficit-reduction commission established by President Obama, of which he is a member, is another venue for addressing the budget.

"It is not as if we are just casting it loose," Spratt said "There are a lot of different processes in place that could substitute for a budget resolution."

Spratt said he expects he could mark up his budget resolution in the next few weeks if the decision is made to go forward.

In the Senate, Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said he continues to move toward a markup of his resolution.

Hoyer and Spratt conceded it is possible that the Senate could produce a budget without the House acting.

They pointed out that under Senate rules, if the committee does not report out a budget plan, any senator could put forward a plan on the floor.

"They are in a little different position," than the House, Hoyer said. "They need to move something" to prevent other senators from pursuing other budget resolutions.