House passes FY12 budget resolution

The House on Friday passed "on a nearly party line vote of 235-193" an FY12 budget resolution, National Journal reports.

The measure, which was "largely crafted" by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is not likely to pass the Senate, according to the publication (Sanchez, 4/15). "Adopting the GOP-backed version sets up a clash with the White House and the Democratic-controlled Senate over spending priorities for the next fiscal year," CQ writes. "Senate Budget Democrats are expected to unveil their plan after returning in May from the two-week spring recess," according to CQ (Carter, 4/15).

Advocacy Groups Prepare To Lobby Congress On FY12 Budget In Wake Of FY11 Spending Cuts
In related news, The Hill examines how foreign aid and other types of advocacy organizations are planning to lobby Congress to "restore as much funding as possible in" the FY12 budget after many of their "favorite government programs" were reduced in the FY11 budget. But it "will be a difficult task with both President Obama and House Republicans claiming deficit reduction as a top priority heading into the 2012 election race," The Hill notes.

"We are trying to walk a line and accept both realities," said Ken Forsberg, senior manager of legislative affairs at InterAction, which is a coalition of international humanitarian groups. "One is the political reality here in Washington where you see the kind of cuts that were proposed in [the House GOP budget plan for the rest of 2011]. But the second reality is the outside world where this aid is still desperately needed, despite House Republicans wanting to cut spending everywhere," he added. Forsberg argues that cutting foreign aid won't reduce the budget deficit. "We need to be planting the seeds for future economic prosperity around the world," he said (Bogardus, 4/17).