Rep. Paul Ryan unveils his federal budget plan



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan unveiled his budget proposal on Tuesday, March 12th. The plan would balance the federal budget in ten years, cut spending and undo virtually all of President Obama's big legislative accomplishments. Because of that, some are calling it unrealistic.

"We're putting out yet again, a budget that addresses America's needs," said Ryan. "This is an invitation to the president of the United States, to the senate democrats to come together to fix these problems."

Milwaukee Congresswoman Gwen Moore is also on the House Budget Committee. She says voters rejected Ryan's ideas at the ballot box in November.

"You don't just say to your family, 'We're not going to eat this month. We're going to live outside and pay off all of our debt.' No," said Moore. "What you do is you call your creditors up and make a plan to pay $100 a month toward your bills."

There are big policy changes in Ryan's new plan. It calls for the following...


    Robert Kraig is with Citizen Action Wisconsin. He says the Ryan plan more closely resembles a political manifesto than a budget map.

    "It's so unrealistic it has no chance of becoming law any way, so it's simply a distraction, if you think about it. It's an ideological exercise that has no relevance to the current debate," said Kraig.

    "Balancing the budget is not simply an act of arithmetic, not just getting expenditures and revenues to add up. Balancing the budget is a means to an end. It's a means to a healthier economy," said Ryan.

    With Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate and the White House, there's virtually no chance of the Ryan budget passing. But the Wisconsin Congressman is using the plan to affirm the principles that the Republican Party stands for, attempting to draw attention to the nation's debt and deficit problems.