WASHINGTON — Republicans controlling Congress are moving ahead with their budget for the upcoming year — and heading into a veto confrontation with President Barack Obama.
House-Senate negotiators on a sweeping — but nonbinding — budget plan sealed agreement Wednesday. The 10-year balanced budget plan calls upon lawmakers to enact major curbs on safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps. It cuts domestic agencies below already tight spending “caps” that the White House is vowing to dismantle.
Separately, the House was moving on a normally bipartisan bill funding veterans’ programs. But the measure was running into unusual opposition from Democrats despite its large increases. The White House promises to veto the bill because of GOP plans to boost the Pentagon’s budget while ignoring pleas to increase domestic programs.
