Senate votes to move forward on GOP budget compromise

Source: AP

By ANDREW TAYLOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate marched ahead Tuesday on a compromise Republican budget that calls for future cuts in spending while immediately boosting Pentagon accounts by an additional $38 billion.

The House approved the non-binding blueprint last week, and a final Senate vote on Tuesday afternoon would complete action. First, the chamber voted 53-44 to move ahead with the House-Senate compromise.

The budget plan does not go to President Barack Obama, who has promised to veto follow-up spending bills that he says will shortchange domestic programs like student aid, transportation grants, and scientific research.

The measure sets up a fast-track debate this summer that would permit Republicans to finally pass legislation to repeal Obama's health care law, though he's certain to veto it. But Republicans have no plans to follow up the budget plan's call for more than $5 trillion in spending cuts with binding legislation that would, for instance, curb Medicare payments to providers, tighten eligibility rules for food stamps, or dump poor and disabled people off of the traditional Medicaid program.

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