House Dems will not offer their own spending plan

House Democrats, who have repeatedly labeled Republicans as the “Party of No,” will not offer their own spending plan for this fiscal year.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was noncommittal when asked by reporters on Wednesday if Democrats will offer a comprehensive alternative to the Republican’s budget bill for fiscal 2012, expected to be released in the spring.

{mosads}“We’ll have to wait to see what [Republicans] do,” he said.

When Democrats were in the majority last year, they failed to pass a budget resolution through the lower chamber. It was the first time since the implementation of the 1974 Budget Act that the House failed to pass such a measure. 

The Democrats’ strategy of focusing their efforts on criticizing the House GOP’s spending plan is common for the minority party. But it also could open them up to criticism — especially after they derided Republicans as being devoid of ideas in the last two Congresses.

Republicans are moving forward on a Fiscal Year 2011 measure that would cut $61 billion from 2010 spending levels. Congressional Democrats have excoriated the plan, which has drawn a presidential veto threat. 

Many rank-and-file Democrats have offered specific amendments to change the Republican legislation, though the entire Democratic Caucus has not rallied around one plan. 

House Democrats are contrasting the GOP’s 2011 proposal with the Obama administration’s budget blueprint for 2012.

The approach allows Democrats to criticize Republicans for “reckless” cuts without having to take direct ownership of similar reductions. Indeed, Democrats have offered broad support for the White House budget, even while some of them have criticized individual cuts outlined in the request sent to Congress on Monday. 

Because the White House blueprint lays out specific budget goals beginning in October, however, the strategy also leaves in question Democrats’ spending wish list through September, when the current fiscal year ends.

Hoyer defended the strategy Wednesday, arguing that Democrats were denied a chance to offer alternatives when Republicans brought their continuing resolution (CR) to the House floor without first allowing members of the Appropriations Committee to amend it.

“We haven’t had an opportunity to consider this bill in depth,” Hoyer charged.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said the White House budget is “the clearest demonstration” of the value differences between the two parties. Although President Obama’s proposal would cut discretionary spending by $1.1 trillion over a decade, those reductions are accompanied by increases in education spending, she said — a sharp contrast to the “draconian” cuts proposed in the GOP’s CR. 

“That,” she said, “is why the comparison is important.”

Banished to the House minority as a result of the midterm elections, Democrats are all but powerless to move proposals of their own. Endorsing specific cuts, meanwhile, would be sure to draw fire from liberal-leaning groups.

Still, Democrats were highly critical of GOP leaders for their alleged failure to offer specific legislative alternatives during the last Congress, when the levers of power were reversed.

Republican leaders are vowing a Thursday vote on the CR, setting the stage for a showdown with Obama and Senate Democrats, who say the $61 billion in cuts will devastate the nation’s fragile economic recovery. 

Lawmakers are running out of time — a temporary spending measure enacted in December funds the federal government through March 4. If Congress doesn’t reach an agreement before then, or if lawmakers fail to pass another temporary extension of current funding, a number of federal agencies would be forced to close their doors.

Senate Democratic leaders met with Obama on Wednesday to discuss the looming negotiations with House Republicans. The onus is on Senate Democratic leaders and their narrow majority to move a bill through the upper chamber that will fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year.

One senior House Democrat said Wednesday that he’s not optimistic about reaching a compromise.

“We are either headed for a continuing resolution [at current levels] for the rest of the year,” said Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), “or a shutdown.”

—Erik Wasson contributed.