Ryan lays out budget options to divided House Republicans

The annual budget by Congress typically make bold promises, but in reality it's a nonbinding blueprint that sets the stage for follow-up legislation, specifically a round of appropriations bills and, is some years, special budget legislation that would allow Republicans to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate and deliver cuts to Obama.

The GOP source in the meeting said Ryan told the rank-and-file that it would be a shame it the party couldn't produce a budget but that "the sky won't fall" since there's no fiscal "cliff" like the need to increase the government's debt limit.

So-called mandatory spending such as Social Security, Medicare and health care costs under the Affordable Care Act is responsible for the rest of the $4 trillion-plus federal budget.