House to adopt compromise GOP budget targeting 'Obamacare'

Source: AP-Excite

By ANDREW TAYLOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House moved quickly Thursday on a compromise GOP budget that promises to speed repeal of the new health care law while calling for a major budget hike for the Pentagon.

The non-binding agreement promises to balance the budget in nine years with more than $5 trillion in spending cuts, though Republicans make clear they aren't interested in actually imposing controversial cuts to programs like Medicare, food stamps, Pell Grants or the traditional Medicaid program with follow-up legislation.

Instead, the House-Senate budget framework increases spending in the near term by padding war accounts by almost $40 billion next year. And Senate Republicans skittish over politically dangerous cuts to Medicare blocked a House move that called for giving subsidies to future retirees to purchase health insurance on the open market instead of a guaranteed package of Medicare coverage.

A House vote is set for Thursday afternoon; the Senate is slated to approve the measure next week.

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