WASHINGTON -- Republicans skipped the intramural scrimmaging this time and passed their first on-time budget since gaining control of Congress five years ago. They are celebrating quietly, given the struggles ahead with Democrats and the White House.

"The good news is the budget ... will be done today," House Speaker Dennis Hastert told reporters on Thursday as the Senate was giving final approval on the GOP tax and spending plan. "The bad news is the budget is done today. We have a lot of hard work to do from this point forward."

Hastert, as methodical as former Speaker Newt Gingrich was mercurial, made sure the budget was wrapped up by the April 15 deadline set in law. Within GOP councils, he insisted on it as part of his effort to demonstrate that the Republican-controlled House can do its work on time.

The next budgetary challenge for Republicans will be to pass the government's regular spending bills in a House narrowly divided along party lines. At the same time, they must try to blunt Democratic claims that they are angling to cut taxes for the wealthy at the expense of Medicare.

Not surprisingly, Democrats miss no opportunity to attack the Republicans' efforts.

"This is a disaster," the Senate's top Democrat, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, said of the budget that nearly all lawmakers in his party opposed.

At a news conference with the House Democratic leader, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Daschle complained the GOP budget did nothing to extend the solvency of Medicare or Social Security or help working families.

He said that "last year we complained that the Republicans couldn't pass a budget plan. Actually, not passing one is better than passing one that is this abhorrent."
hello there & you too