May 18, 2013
The Senate has narrowly passed its first budget proposal in four years as majority Democrats went on record favoring almost $1 trillion in tax increases over the coming decade while sheltering domestic programs targeted by House Republicans.
The Democratic plan also proposes to reverse automatic spending cuts that are beginning to strike both the Pentagon and domestic programs. It passed by a near party line 50-49 vote after senators working most of the night approved it in Saturday's pre-dawn hours.
The vote came after lawmakers considered scores of votes on amendments, many of which were offered in hopes of inflicting political damage on Democratic senators up for re-election in GOP-leaning states like Alaska and Louisiana.
President Barack Obama's long-overdue budget is scheduled to be released March 8.
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