The House approved a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint Tuesday in a straight party-line vote, setting up a fall clash over the details of President Joe Biden's proposed expansion of social programs that Republicans blasted for higher taxes and "wasteful" spending. The budget outlines spending goals that committees must now detail in legislation, such as for free pre-kindergarten and community college, paid family and sick leave, and a Medicare expansion for hearing, dental and vision benefits. The outline includes contentious provisions. For climate change, the goal is to generate all of the country’s electricity without increasing carbon dioxide emissions by 2035. For immigration, the goal is to provide a pathway to lawful permanent residence for undocumented children, people who arrived from unsafe countries and farm workers. And it calls for higher taxes on corporations and people with incomes higher than $400,000. Republicans blasted the budget outline for increasing deficit spending and raising taxes. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., also criticized Democrats for linking the contentious budget outline with the bipartisan infrastructure package. Democrats had divided over whether to approve infrastructure before the more expansive budget. The House approved the budget outline as part of a rule governing floor debate for the $1.2 trillion Senate infrastructure bill and a voting-rights bill named for the late Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon. The Senate approved the budget outline Aug. 11 on a 50-49 party-line vote. #congress #infrastructure #democrats #republicans