–Senate Defeats House GOP Budget On 57 To 40 Vote
–Senate Also Rejects Obama’s Budget
–Senate Also Rejects Obama’s FY’12 Budget
–Senate Majority Leader Reid Says Ryan Plan Would Kill Medicare
–Senate Minority Leader McConnell Hammers Dems For Offering No Plan

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – In a mostly symbolic vote, the Senate voted
Wednesday to reject the fiscal year 2012 budget that was drafted by
House Republicans and passed by the House last month.

The Senate vote was on a motion to take up the Ryan budget. It was
rejected on a 57 to 40 vote. In other words, 57 senators voted not to
take up Ryan’s budget while 40 voted to consider the plan. It was a
mostly party line vote, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in
blocking the Ryan budget.

Ryan’s FY’12 budget resolution would cut spending by $5.8 trillion
over a decade compared to President Obama’s February budget. It would
reduce budget deficits by $1.6 trillion over a decade.

Democrats have blasted many features of Ryan’s plan and have
particularly focused on its recommendation to fundamentally overhaul
Medicare.

Some Republicans, including on at least one occasion House Speaker
John Boehner, have said that Ryan’s proposal is only a “blueprint” and
hinted that it would be substantially altered later in the process.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid insisted that Ryan’s fiscal
plan would effectively “kill” Medicare.

“There is a lot wrong,” with the Ryan budget, Reid said, charging
that it’s a “radical plan to end Medicare as we know it.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Senate Democrats
have “abdicated” their responsibility to govern by failing to product
their own budget.

McConnell said the Democratic move to force a vote on the Ryan
budget was a political move to improve their electoral prospects in
2012.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad said he has withheld
offering his own fiscal plan because there are bipartisan budget talks
now underway that are the main focal point of fiscal activity. He cited
the talks now being led by Vice President Biden.

“We are in an unusual year,” he said.

“We don’t need a Democratic budget or a Republican budget. We need
an American budget. We need a budget that is bipartisan,” said Conrad.

The Senate also voted to block consideration of President Obama’s
FY’12 budget.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

[TOPICS: M$U$$$,MFU$$$,MCU$$$]