The U.S. Senate is set to vote today on a bipartisan budget deal that will keep the country’s financial house in order for the next two years.
On Tuesday the Senate voted 67-33 to end debate and move toward approving the so called Murray-Ryan Compromise, named after Senate Democrat Patty Murray of Washington and House Republican Paul Ryan of Wisconsin – the two lawmakers who crafted the spending plan.
In addition to all Senate Democrats, 12 Republicans also voted to move forward on the budget deal, including Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Orrin Hatch of Utah and John McCain of Arizona.
The bill’s framework would set top-line federal spending levels for the next two fiscal years, partially ease across-the-board cuts known as sequestration and offer some modest deficit reduction.
The Republican-controlled House had already overwhelmingly supported the bill last week and Chautauqua County’s Congressman Tom Reed, a Republican, was one of the many who approved the plan.
“I supported the budget agreement because as I have said repeatedly, I didn’t go to Washington to maintain the status quo,” Reed said on Monday. “If there are steps being made in the right direction, I will join with the efforts to take baby steps, if not large steps, to get our debt under control and get this economy going again.”
Reed said specifically, there were two specific reasons for his approval. He said first and foremost, the deal ends the process of Government by Crisis. Secondly, he said it’s a start in the reduction of mandatory federal spending, something he’s been pushing for all along in the House.
“By no means are these the large mandatory spending reforms that we are going to have to obtain in order to get the debt crisis under control, but at least it cracks the door and gets us into the realm of mandatory spending on the federal side. By doing that, is a step in the right direction, albeit a small step.”
Following Tuesday’s vote in the Senate to end debate, just one more hurdle remains to get the budget deal in place, and that is a final vote on the budget. Only 51 votes are needed for that to go forward.
President Obama has said he will sign it when it reaches his desk.
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