US Senate Passes GOP Budget Along Party Lines
Hirono and Schatz of Hawaii joined all Democrats and a few presidential contenders in voting “nay.”
The U.S. Senate approved a Republican budget resolution just after 3 a.m. Friday morning in a 52-46 vote, “capping a grueling day of floor work that required lawmakers to take sides on dozens of amendments,” as The Hill reports.
“Only two Republicans voted against the budget: Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.). Cruz announced this week he is running for president in 2016, and Paul is expected to do the same shortly.”
Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz along with all Democrats and the two independents voted against the GOP budget.
The Mall in Washington, D.C.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Hirono took to the Senate floor Thursday to argue about how the Senate budget “favors special interests and the wealthy and would hurt our middle class and economy,” according to her office.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed its own budget resolution Wednesday, so the two chambers will have to resolve their differences after the Easter recess.
Both budgets are heavy on increasing defense spending while cutting money for other programs.
