Thursday, April 28, 2011

Reid To Force Vote On Republican Budget Plan

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid saidWednesday that he will force Republicans in his chamber to vote on a House plan to cut popular healthcare programs while trimming taxes for corporations and the wealthy.

"We'll see how much Republicans like it here in the Senate," Reid, a Democrat, said of the budget written by House Republicans, which passed that chamber on April 15 without Democratic support.

The House budget has drawn fire because in future years it would deeply cut Medicare and Medicaid healthcare for the elderly and poor, while also paring taxes for corporations and the wealthy.

"It would be one of the worst things that could happen to this country if that came into effect. It would have an adverse effect immediately and long term," Reid said.

The House plan would likely be defeated in the Democratic-led Senate. But in bringing it to a vote, Reid would be forcing Senate Republicans to either go on record in favor of controversial spending cuts or abandon their House Republican colleagues.

The Senate's Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, has said the House-passed budget addresses "our most pressing problems head-on at a moment when the president and other Democrat leaders simply refuse to do so themselves."

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