House Republicans released their FY 2018 budget resolution earlier today. This plan, introduced by House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-TN), would pave the way for ambitious tax reform legislation alongside a package of drastic spending cuts.
Like the Trump Administration’s FY 2018 Budget, the House budget sets the stage for significant cuts to programs such as affordable housing and environmental protection. Unlike the President’s budget, the House plan would cut into Medicare—a program that President Trump has pledged to preserve.
Under the House plan, defense spending would steadily increase over 10 years while non-defense discretionary spending—the spending category that includes WIC—would decline to $424 billion (a drastic cut from the $554 billion the federal government is spending in that category this year, and below sequestration levels). The budget plan requires a number of committees to come up with these cuts, including committees with jurisdiction over programs important to low-income families, such as the Agriculture Committee (with jurisdiction over SNAP) and the Energy and Commerce Committee (with jurisdiction over Medicaid and part of Medicare).
The House Budget Committee resolution is set for a Wednesday committee vote. Conflicts within the Republican party over spending, health care and other matters make the fate of the House budget resolution uncertain.
Senate Republicans have yet to draw up a budget blueprint of their own.