The start of budget negotiations between the Senate and House start Friday. That means we’re near the end of a months-long process that’s had some surprises this year.
Lawmakers sitting on the Committee of Conference, the one's charged with finalizing the budget, need to sign off on a final version by next Thursday.
Talking with Republican House leadership – it seems like the version the Senate drafted is in good shape. House Finance Chair Neal Kurk says he expects to spend about three days working through the details and might be able to vote on the final plan early – by Tuesday.
But some Libertarian-leaning Republicans in the House think the proposal needs a lot of work – they think it still spends too much.
None of these members; however, are on the Committee of Conference, the ones who will actually do the work . But members of the Committee say they’ve met privately with different House groups to hear their concerns.
After it leaves the Committee of Conference, a final plan must clear both chambers by June 22. And if the proposal stays as its written now, the House may again have some trouble. The last time the full House voted on a similar budget plan, they failed to pass anything.