House GOP bill calls attention to Obama on budget

WASHINGTON (AP) - The GOP-controlled House has passed a bill that's intended to call attention to President Barack Obama's failure to offer a balanced budget during his years in office.

Democrats say the legislation is a political gimmick, and it's sure to be ignored by Democrats running the Senate.

The "Require Presidential Leadership and No Deficit Act" is meant to require that the president submit a budget that balances the government's books. The measure passed by a 253-167 vote.

The legislation tries to draw contrast between Obama and House Republicans, who recently announced that their upcoming budget blueprint would come to balance within a decade. That's a shift from the past two years, when Republican budgets had sharp spending cuts but failed to project a balanced budget.