Republicans call for discretionary spending freeze

Senate Republicans will call for a discretionary spending freeze, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Tuesday.

Flanked by Republican members of the appropriations committee, McConnell told reporters that Republicans will re-propose the spending limits voted down earlier this year offered by Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). 

“We’re going to recommend a smaller pie, if you will,” McConnell said.

The proposal would impose separate five-year caps on both defense and nondefense discretionary spending.

“The line that we have selected is one that has been supported on multiple votes in the Senate on a bipartisan basis,” McConnell said, noting that up to 18 Democrats have supported the freeze.

The Senate voted on the caps a handful of times between January and March of 2010. The proposal received between 56 and 59 votes — including the entire Republican caucus — but never reaching the 60-vote threshold.