Senate GOP not preparing own budget plan

Senate Republicans are not planning to present their own budget this year as an amendment to that of the Democrats.

“I do not plan to offer a Republican budget,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) told reporters Friday.

Sessions has been the leading critic of Senate Democrats for failing to pass their own budget for the last four years. He said that he is on record supporting the past approaches of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)

Ryan will release his newest plan on Tuesday. He has pledged to balance the budget by 2023 using only spending cuts.

House Democrats will likely once again offer their own alternative, authored by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), as they have the last two years.

“A vote could come up on the Ryan budget,” Sessions said.

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