ICYMI: House repeats budget debate

Anyone who missed the tenor of Monday's tense budget debate can catch a repeat showing today. In the run-up to a vote this afternoon on the Republican resolution for the FY 2011 budget, Democrats argued that Republicans do not have a budget number, and that it is unclear how the budget for the rest of 2011 will be cut to 2008 levels or possibly lower.

Republicans argued back that numbers are coming, and that they are only dealing with the budget for 2011 because Democrats failed to pass one themselves. In tone and substance it was very similar to yesterday's debate, which was on the rule; today's debate is on the actual resolution.

One new twist today was the appearance of House leaders and committee chairmen from both parties. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who said 2011 numbers cannot be determined today because no Congressional Budget Office baseline has been provided. A CBO baseline will be provided on Wednesday, Ryan said, and that will allow Republicans to find out how much more can be spend in the current fiscal year without breaching 2008 levels.

Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) then asked, will we know 2011 budget levels tomorrow? House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) implied that tomorrow will be too soon, but that Republicans expect final numbers to be presented in a bill that will be voted on in the House.

Later, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) took the floor and dared Democrats to vote against the resolution. "If you think the government didn't spend enough money in 2008, then oppose this resolution," Cantor said.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) repeated many of the prior Democratic arguments, in particular that there is no specific budget number. "Here, you have no idea what you'll be voting on," he said. Dreier's response: "This may be unprecedented but these are unprecedented times."

—Updated at 1:40 p.m.