House rejects conservatives’ deficit-cutting plan

House rejects conservatives’ deficit-cutting plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House rejected a budget pushed by its most conservative members today and moved toward approval of a plan written by Republican leaders that would revamp Medicare, slice everything from food stamps to transportation and reject President Barack Obama’s call to raise taxes on the rich. The conservatives’ package, defeated 285-136, featured sharp reductions in planned spending for Medicaid and other domestic programs. It claims to turn this year’s $1.2 trillion federal deficit into a balanced budget in five years — which most analysts consider unachievable because few lawmakers would vote for the package’s proposed cuts.