Republican Budget Approved by House Committee

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The House Budget Committee approved a Republican budget proposal for Fiscal 2017 on March 16 that uses $23 billion in overseas contingency operations funding for base funding requirements, prohibits the closing of Guantanamo Bay, and repeals Obamacare. Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called the budget “a responsible, conservative budget that cuts the deficit by $7 trillion and balances it within a decade—all without raising taxes.” Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) said it “lays before the American people a positive vision for how we can solve our fiscal, economic, and national security challenges through reforms that would grow our economy and hold Washington accountable.” But Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the budget moves the country in the wrong direction and would harm national security by taking away the Pentagon’s ability to plan for the future. Smith also called on Congress to eliminate sequestration and repeal Budget Control Act caps. (Read more about the Republican budget.)

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org