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GOP Divided Over Range and Severity of Spending Cuts
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Most of the budget cutting in the legislation would instead come from Medicare, according to a senior Senate budget aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan is still tentative. But those savings would also be diminished by higher payments to hospitals, doctors and other Medicare health-care providers for the elderly.
Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.), who supports more spending on home heating assistance but deep cuts elsewhere to offset hurricane spending, said such choices can be made.
"When oil is over $65 a barrel, when natural gas prices are shooting up, there is a need for more assistance," he said. "What we don't have is a need for $25 billion in highway earmarks and energy tax breaks to oil and gas companies when they are enjoying record profits. There are plenty of avenues to pursue fiscal restraint."
In the House, budget cutters may have more momentum, but they will have problems of their own. Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), a moderate on the Ways and Means Committee, said his panel has made little progress meeting the demands in the budget for $1 billion in savings from programs under its jurisdiction. Raising the bar higher, as Nussle has proposed, "could be rhetoric," he said.
Nussle said yesterday the biggest obstacle to his plan is the Senate, but with White House help the cuts have a chance.
"This will take the president's leadership," he said, not just in pushing lawmakers but making the case to voters. "If we don't get that, it will be an unfortunately proud exercise but not one that will become law."
Some moderate Republicans say that is not likely to help. They increasingly believe that efforts to meet the president's deficit-reduction goals are preventing them from pursuing their own policy goals.
"We have some heavy lifting to do," Foley said. "There's no question."
