House Republicans unveiled a US$95 billion budget framework on Wednesday, their last major legislative offensive before the midterm elections, including measures on defense, agriculture and electoral integrity.
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The plan provides US$73 billion for the armed forces and intelligence agencies, notably to finance operations linked to the war against Iran, as well as US$12 billion in aid to farmers affected by the trade war led by President Donald Trump.
Another $10 billion would go to election-related programs, part of a partial revival of the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to vote.
The resolution, which is currently only a budget framework, would allow Republicans, if passed by both chambers, to develop a detailed bill later in the summer and attempt to pass it in the Senate with a simple majority through a fast-track budget procedure, thus bypassing the usual 60-vote threshold needed and opposition from Democrats.
The Republican leaders of the House want to have this framework approved next week, before parliamentarians leave Washington for a long summer break.
But the project faces opposition from conservatives most attached to budgetary rigor, who denounce the absence of spending reductions to compensate for its cost.
MP Warren Davidson, known for his positions in favor of budgetary rigor, described the project as “stillborn”.
This battle illustrates the tensions within the Republican Party, divided between the desire to show results on national security, agriculture and the electoral process, and that of preserving its image as guardian of budgetary discipline.
Donald Trump called for an even greater increase in military spending, but party leaders are seeking to spare elected officials, who are reluctant to further widen the public deficit.
