By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 29, 2009; 12:54 PM
The House today passed a $3.5 trillion budget outline that lays the groundwork for President Obama's ambitious initiatives on health care and education.
The 233-193 vote was largely along party lines. The Senate is expected to pass the budget later today, allowing Obama to commemorate his 100th day as president with a major legislative victory.
"It is a very happy day for our country," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
The budget resolution extends tax cuts for families who make less than $250,000 each year, increases the size of Pell Grants and provides money for "clean energy" initiatives that Obama has proposed.
Republicans today continued to attack the budget, saying that such high spending levels will drive the federal deficit dangerously high. The deficit would hit $1.2 trillion in the fiscal year that begins in October and remain elevated through 2014, when it is projected to hit $523 billion.
"It puts all of this debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren," said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio.). "This is not the American way."
The budget include a controversial procedural provision known as reconciliation that could allow Democrats to pass legislation on health care and education with 51 votes rather than the 60 that are usually required to overcome filibusters in the Senate. While reconciliation would ease the passage of key legislation, Democrats remain divided over exactly how to craft legislation to offer health insurance to all Americans. Some Democrats have also opposed Obama's proposal to cut private banks out of the process of administering federally guaranteed student loans, which the president says would save enough money to pay for increases in aid to students.
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