The Senate has passed the President’s budget by a vote of 53-43.
Just as earlier this month when the Senate passed it’s version of the resolution (and just as in the House earlier today) not a single Republican voted for it. And just as last time, they were joined by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Ben Nelson (D-NE). And just as last time, Sen. Arlen Specter voted against it, too. Except last time around he was a Republican.
I’ll post the full roll call when it becomes available.
Late update: Statements from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell below the fold.
Late late update: Here’s the roll call. Specter’s still listed as a Republican. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) also voted with the Republicans, presumably over the issue of reconciliation.
Reid:
Our budget is a responsible blueprint for rebuilding America’s economy and strengthening the middle class. This is about much more than a document filled with numbers. It is about the Americans who will soon get the affordable, quality health care and education they deserve. It is about the job-creating investments in clean, renewable energy to strengthen our national security, economy and environment. And it is about the hardworking middle-class families whose taxes we will cut so they can keep more of their paycheck at the time they need it most.
Democrats know we cannot recover unless we do all these things. While it is extremely disappointing that not a single Republican joined us, we will still save them a seat at the table as we implement our budget and turn these priorities into realities.
McConnell:
While families across the country are tightening their belts and carefully watching every dollar, Congress is on a trillion-dollar spending spree.
The same Democrats who were outraged over last year’s deficit just voted for a budget this year that will lead to twice as large trillion-dollar deficits and double the debt in just five years.
Americans don’t understand how a giant expansion of government will help create or preserve jobs, or why the same Democrats who showed strong support on the Senate floor for Republican proposals to protect small businesses and middle class taxpayers, dropped those proposals once behind closed doors.
Massive spending and crushing debt are not the answers to a recession, and neither are tax hikes on working families and job creators.
