Still, it’s clear that Ryan and GOP leaders face an even more difficult balancing act than usual, and Republican aides privately suggest this could be the toughest budget yet to pass.
Only four Republicans voted against Ryan’s budget in 2011, but that number grew to 10 the last two years. No Democrats are expected to vote for the budget for a fourth straight year.
More than 60 House Republicans – or almost four times as many as the GOP can afford to lose – voted against the Ryan-Murray deal in December that installed a $1.014 trillion spending cap for 2015
“If it’s at the same spending level as Ryan-Murray, it would be very difficult for me to vote for it,” said Kingston, who is running for Senate this year after voting for the last three Ryan budgets.
Two of Kingston’s primary opponents, Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey, both voted against the budget last year.
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