Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) will unveil his budget blueprint today, which he said would balance the budget in nine years — a far more aggressive target than even the budget passed by the House.
Reid has promised a vote on the House budget blueprint as well, but he has not said when that will occur. That will also almost certainly be in the form of a vote on a motion to proceed, which Democrats can easily defeat, rather than on the budget itself. That’s because once a budget resolution actually gets to the floor for debate, Budget Act rules apply, including unlimited amendments.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has promised to respond in kind with a vote on President Barack Obama’s original budget proposal, which would likely get even fewer votes, given that Obama has since acknowledged his plan fails to put the nation on a sustainable path.
Editor’s note:
The online version of this article has been updated with comments from Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.).
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