Rep. Lisa McClain: "Clock is ticking" on budget resolution in House

• "I don't believe we're going to take the vote on the budget resolution this week," McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference, said at an Axios News Shapers event.
• "The bottom line is, the clock is ticking, and we can't agree on the number or the principle of the number," she said, hours after House Republicans met late on Tuesday trying to reach a compromise on cuts.

Driving the news: Asked whether there will be a budget resolution out of the House by Feb. 14, McClain, a self-proclaimed "optimist," said, "I think the answer is yes, because my fear is, if we don't ... we're going to get jammed by the Senate."

• "That's just the reality, right?" I'm an optimist, but I'm also a realist," she said.
• The House is currently scheduled to be in recess the week of Feb. 17.

Between the lines: When asked whether she thinks that's a compelling argument for the Republicans in the House who are holding out for deeper spending cuts, McClain said, "I would rather control our own destiny than put it in the Senate's hands: That's me, and I think that's the bulk of the members in the House."

• She added that there's a "fine line" between rushing negotiations and running out of time.

• "I'd rather it take longer and we get it right than rush through it and get the deadline," she said.

Zoom out: Last November, McClain beat Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) in the race to replace then-House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who President Trump picked to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.

Go deeper: House Republicans swarm race for Elise Stefanik's leadership job