Before the bipartisan budget bill has even passed the Senate, Republicans already are looking at their strategy for the next fiscal fight over the debt ceiling in 2014.
“We as a caucus, along with our Senate counterparts, are going to meet and discuss what we want out of the debt limit,” Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace. “We don’t want nothing out of the debt limit.”
The country is expected to hit the debt ceiling in early 2014. If it isn’t raised, the country could default on its debt.
To fix the more pressing crisis of another government shutdown in mid-January, Mr. Ryan, together with his Senate counterpart, Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, unveiled a bipartisan budget deal last week that passed the House on Thursday, despite criticism from both sides. The two-year, $1.012 trillion plan alleviates some of the sequester cuts and reduces the deficit by $23 billion over 10 years. The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the bill Tuesday.
Many outside conservative groups slammed the budget deal, criticizing Republicans for breaking the budget caps and erasing some of the sequester cuts. While House Speaker John A. Boehner publicly condemned the groups, saying Thursday that they had lost all credibility, Mr. Ryan said the groups “helped us get our ship righted again” when Republicans lost the majority in the House in 2006.
“I think these groups are valuable,” Mr. Ryan said. “The way I look at it is this: They’re part of our Republican family. I think we should keep these conversations within our family.”
Mr. Ryan acknowledged that Republicans did not get everything they wanted out of the deal and that the plan is just a small step, not a long-term budget agreement. To put a grand bargain with tax and entitlement reform in place, Mr. Ryan said the GOP will need to win elections, since the Democrat-controlled White House and Senate are not “willing and able to do it,” he said. His budget deal with Mrs. Murray will help the party win seats in 2014 and 2016, he said.
“We as a caucus, along with our Senate counterparts, are going to meet and discuss what we want out of the debt limit,” Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace. “We don’t want nothing out of the debt limit.”
The country is expected to hit the debt ceiling in early 2014. If it isn’t raised, the country could default on its debt.
To fix the more pressing crisis of another government shutdown in mid-January, Mr. Ryan, together with his Senate counterpart, Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, unveiled a bipartisan budget deal last week that passed the House on Thursday, despite criticism from both sides. The two-year, $1.012 trillion plan alleviates some of the sequester cuts and reduces the deficit by $23 billion over 10 years. The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the bill Tuesday.
Many outside conservative groups slammed the budget deal, criticizing Republicans for breaking the budget caps and erasing some of the sequester cuts. While House Speaker John A. Boehner publicly condemned the groups, saying Thursday that they had lost all credibility, Mr. Ryan said the groups “helped us get our ship righted again” when Republicans lost the majority in the House in 2006.
“I think these groups are valuable,” Mr. Ryan said. “The way I look at it is this: They’re part of our Republican family. I think we should keep these conversations within our family.”
Mr. Ryan acknowledged that Republicans did not get everything they wanted out of the deal and that the plan is just a small step, not a long-term budget agreement. To put a grand bargain with tax and entitlement reform in place, Mr. Ryan said the GOP will need to win elections, since the Democrat-controlled White House and Senate are not “willing and able to do it,” he said. His budget deal with Mrs. Murray will help the party win seats in 2014 and 2016, he said.