The Hill News

Republicans in Washington share the motivation of Gov. Scott Walker (R) in Wisconsin, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Friday.

Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the House, said that Republicans' fight to cut spending, both with a short-term funding measure and their budget next year, shares the "same thrust" with Walker and other GOP governors' efforts to rein in spending.

"There is an attempt on the part of all responsible governors right now and their state legislators right now to try and balance their budgets," Cantor said on a conference call about the continuing resolution (or "CR") House Republicans will put forward later Friday afternoon.

That CR would fund the government at reduced levels for another two weeks after the government runs out of money on March 4.

"That's what the debate in Wisconsin is about," Cantor said. "That's what the debate in this CR is all about."

Of course, Repu! blicans in Washington aren't considering any of the sweeping labor reforms that Walker and some Republican governors have sought. Walker's proposals, which call for asking public workers to make increased contributions to their benefits and healthcare plans as well as an elimination of most of their collective bargaining rights, aren't included in what is proposed by House Republicans. But Walker's sold his plan as a critical element of his efforts to balance Wisconsin's budgets.

"This really isn't about ideology," Cantor said, arguing that both House Republicans and Walker share the goal of better managing their budgets.