The House Conservative Action Team Wednesday unveiled its own budget proposal, which Rep. David McIntosh, R-Ind., the group's chairman, said reflects conservative principles and offers an alternative designed to influence the fiscal 1999 budget plan being prepared by House Budget Chairman Kasich, R-Ohio.
"Our hope is that [Kasich] will pick up parts of this and the Budget Committee will like it," McIntosh said.
Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., a member of both the CATs and the Budget Committee, said he "will look at how the process goes in committee, and if Kasich continues to make progress and adopt our ideas, I wouldn't see any reason to offer [the CATs' budget] in committee. But if John is not making any progress ... I'm not foreclosing any options."
McIntosh added that the CATs will ask the GOP leadership to offer their budget as a substitute during floor debate on the budget, and said, "I've had no indication that the leadership or the Rules Committee would object."
Although the CATs have not formally presented their budget to the leadership, McIntosh said he anticipates the proposal will enjoy "a positive reception from [the] leadership as an alternative."
McIntosh emphasized the CATs' alternative is the only budget to limit the growth of government to the rate of inflation, and said, "If we don't have the will to do that, then I think you don't see a Republican majority on the Hill."
Shadegg said President Clinton's budget proposal moved "dramatically to the left" of last year's budget agreement, and that "we need to make a political statement that some of us view the world differently."
The CATs budget plan seeks $160 billion in discretionary spending savings to keep government from growing beyond the rate of inflation, increases defense spending $56 billion overlast year's budget deal, and provides at least $150 billion in tax cuts. Their budget would also direct half of any budget surplus to paying down the national debt - giving priority to replenishing the Social Security trust fund and providing tax relief.
The CATs' tax cut priorities include eliminating the marriage penalty, expanding the 15 percent tax bracket, restoring the 12-month holding period for capital gains and eliminating the estate tax. In addition, the group proposes changing what Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, called "a ridiculous Washington rule" in order to allow discretionary spending cuts to pay for tax cuts.
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