The House Budget Committee may delay the release of its fiscal 2018 budget proposal until the last week of June or after the July 4th recess as Republicans seek to boost defense spending above the White House’s proposed $54 billion increase in defense funds, The Hill reported Monday.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), a member of the House Budget Committee, said he forecasts that the budget resolution will be higher than the administration’s budget request.
The Trump administration proposed to cut nondefense discretionary spending by $54 billion in order to fund increases to the defense budget for fiscal 2018.
House Freedom Caucus members consider supporting increases to the defense budget by another $37 billion and higher nondefense spending levels without proposing additional budget reductions elsewhere.
“Conservatives are willing to entertain the idea of voting for higher spending levels on discretionary spending if we can get the right kind of reconciliation instructions,†said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a member of the Freedom Caucus.
The Hill reported such reconciliation instructions would call for congressional panels to attain certain budget cuts.
House Republicans are expected to negotiate a strategy for the budget resolution on its upcoming meeting Wednesday, the report added.