House approves $39.7 bln spending cuts
The House of Representatives on Monday narrowly voted to cut $39.7 billion from federal spending over five years, including health care and other social welfare, as part of a conservative push to contain these growing programs.
By a vote of 212-206, the House, at the end of a rare overnight session, approved the spending cuts, which were opposed by Democrats.
"We have a plan to reform the government and achieve savings," said House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, an Iowa Republican.
In separate legislation, the House also approved a 1 percent reduction in spending this fiscal year for all federal programs, except for the Veterans Administration, to save an additional $8 billion.
The five-year budget bill, which was trimmed from the nearly $50 billion in savings approved by the House last month, is expected to be debated by the Senate this week.
Democrats criticized spending cuts to student loans, child care and other programs. Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, the senior Budget Committee Democrat, complained that Republicans were negotiating last-minute deals to help medical equipment manufacturers and suppliers, while maintaining reductions in some programs for the poor.
Rep. Chet Edwards, a Texas Democrat, said, "This bill under the Republican leadership makes Scrooge look like a philanthropist."
A large chunk of the spending cuts, about $11.2 billion over five years, would come from Medicare and Medicaid, the health-care programs for the elderly and poor.
