[georgshult]

LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7263081.story

Congressional Republicans are grappling with dissent within the party's ranks over the size and scope of proposed reductions as they seek to fulfill a campaign promise to slash the federal budget.

The Republican Party's conservative wing has proposed even deeper and potentially more controversial cuts than the GOP's leaders have prescribed — or believe are politically feasible this year. Prospects for reductions in cancer research or the FBI, for example, are causing consternation within the party and controversy in Washington.

The party's leadership already has scaled back a goal of $100 billion in spending cuts in the current budget year, a figure Republicans promised during last year's midterm election campaign. But conservative Republicans are insisting on cuts nearly twice as deep — reaching to $2.5 trillion over 10 years. Party leaders do not believe such cuts are politically or practically achievable.

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GOP leaders, including Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, have acknowledged that their goal of cutting $100 billion by rolling back spending limits to 2008 levels will not occur because the fiscal year will soon be half over. Instead, they expect to save about $60 billion.

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Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a budget watchdog group, said GOP leaders will have a problem managing the expectations of conservatives.

"The standard they set for themselves in terms of budget cutting and deficit reduction were very high and the expectations were unrealistic," Bixby said. "Some of the leaders in the House, Boehner and Ryan, do have a bit of a problem in trying to write a tough and realistic budget that can get done, and tamping down some of the unrealistic expectations."