Republicans powered Rep. Paul Ryan's budget through the House on Thursday, approving a blueprint that calls for severe new spending cuts on the domestic side and freezes new revenue, though it would rewrite the tax code to cut loopholes and use the money to lower rates.

The GOP budget would greatly reduce projected deficits and bring federal finances into balance by 2023 -- though the cuts to domestic spending and entitlements could prove to be unpopular for many voters.

"We can't continue to spend money that we don't have. It's as simple as that," said House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-OH), who warned of a looming "debt crisis."

The 221-207 vote saw 10 Republicans join Democrats in opposition -- the same number of defections as on Mr. Ryan's budget last year, which became fodder for Democrat political attacks on the campaign trail.

Budgets are not signed into law, but provide a blueprint for both the tax and spending committees to move forward with bills this year. Senators are also debating their budget for the first time in four years.

The renewed interest in passing budgets comes after Republicans wrote a law earlier this year that would withhold lawmakers' pay beginning on April 15 unless the finished action.

The GOP budget, written by Mr. Ryan, the party's 2012 vice presidential nominee, would call for spending $3.5 trillion in 2014, and projects tax revenue of $3 trillion, leaving a deficit of about $500 billion next year.

Over the next decade spending would still increase, but more slowly than projected right now. That limit would bring deficits down to less than $100 billion a year by 2016, and bring it to balance in 2023.

But Democrats said the budget ignored President Obama's 2012 victory, which they said showed voters back tax increases rather than spending cuts.

"We should instead be focusing on job growth and putting people back to work," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

Mr. Van Hollen's alternative plan, though, was defeated on Wednesday, 253-165, with 28 Democrats, mostly from conservative-leaning districts, voting against it.

Over the next decade, Republicans' plan would have called for about $41.5 trillion in spending, and would have collected $40.2 trillion in taxes, for a cumulative deficit of $1.3 trillion.

Democrats' alternative would have spent $46.6 trillion and collected $41.4 trillion in taxes, for a much larger deficit.

In recent days some Democrats have begun to argue that deficits and the ballooning debt don't matter so much. President Obama said balancing the budget is not a high priority for him.

Instead, Democrats argue that government spending now to boost the economy in the short term could help the US avoid an austerity-fueled European-style double-dip recession.

READ FULL SOURCE ARTICLE: 03/21/2013

Editor's Note: Democrats and Progressives are attempting to float the narrative that voters back tax increases rather than spending cuts...Does anyone in their right mind believe this BS??...