Ryan: Maybe no fiscal ‘grand slam’ in Congress controlled by GOP

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) acknowledged Monday that while a GOP-controlled Congress could pass some fiscal legislation, it might not hit a “grand slam.”

On Fox Business Network, Ryan said if Republicans win the Senate, lawmakers could likely strike another budget agreement like the one he reached with Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) last year.

{mosads}“So what we would like to do, in my opinion, is get at least singles or doubles. Maybe not the grand slam of all agreements, but that’s what Patty and I shot for, a medium agreement,” he said. “I think we should try to do another one of those and get the president to do things that [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid has prevented him from having to do, meaning, make a decision.”

Republicans need to win at least six seats in November in order for them to take the majority in the Senate. If that happens, Ryan said, the Highway Trust Fund and a physician cut to Medicare are two things lawmakers should tackle immediately.

Ryan also said Congress should “get a down payment” on the debt ceiling, which will likely need to be raised next year. Reforming entitlement programs, he suggested, could be one way to avert a new fiscal cliff.   

“I just want to get things done, and what the president, unfortunately, likes to do every time we have this is use the military as some bargaining chip and try to get Republicans to raise taxes and not do entitlement reforms. Entitlements are the issue that needs to be dealt with on our terms as a country before it gets too late. And we’re at war right now so let’s not play politics with the military,” he said. 

After the midterm elections in November, Ryan said, Congress will strike “some medium fiscal agreements.” After that, he said Republicans should put issues on President Obama’s desk “he’s been able to avoid” like the Keystone pipeline and energy policies.