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MSN
Budget war
looms for Obama, GOP
From The Hill
Budget war looms for Obama, new Republican Congress © Provided by The
Hill Budget war looms for Obama, new Republican Congress
The federal budget is almost certain to be the central battleground
between President Obama and the new Republican Congress in 2015.
The GOP has vowed to use control of the House and Senate to slash the
size of government, with entitlement programs such as Medicare and
Social Security a potential target for cuts.
But Obama has made clear he will use his veto pen against the GOP,
forcing Republicans to tread carefully as they seek to avoid government
shutdowns and recapture the White House in 2016.
Here are the dates to watch as the conflict unfolds.
February 2: Obama’s budget deadline
The president is required under the law to submit his budget proposal
to Congress by the first Monday of February, which in 2015 falls on the
second day of the month.
Obama has repeatedly missed the deadline during his presidency. Last
year’s budget came a month late, in March, while the previous year’s
was unveiled two months late in early April.
The president’s budget proposal for fiscal 2016, which begins in
October, is likely to include more spending for the Pentagon than
originally expected because of the new battle against the Islamic State
in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Obama administration officials have hinted that the proposed spending
level for defense will bust the cap set by the Budget Control Act of
2011. If Congress doesn’t raise or remove the cap before next October,
across-the-board spending cuts could take effect.
February 27: DHS funding runs out
GOP leaders will have two months to decide how to handle funding for
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the rest of the fiscal
year. The $1.1 trillion spending bill Congress passed at the end of the
lame-duck session only extended DHS funding through February and did
not allow for any spending increases.
Republican leaders chose the short-term solution to satisfy
conservatives who demanded action to defund Obama’s immigration
actions...
Read the rest of the article at MSN
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