Senate

Senate rejects Paul’s balanced budget

by Jordain Carney - 01/09/17 6:33 PM ET

The Senate rejected an alternative budget proposal from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday.

Senators voted 14-83 against Paul’s balanced budget measure aimed at overhauling legislation that is being used to pave the way to repeal ObamaCare.

GOP Sens. Mike Crapo, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, Jeff Flake, John Kennedy, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Jerry Moran, James Risch, Marco Rubio, Ben Sasse, Tim Scott, Pat Toomey and Paul supported the proposal.

{mosads}

The measure would have balanced the budget over roughly five years but retain the guidelines for nixing the Affordable Care Act.

Paul pitched his spending measure ahead of the vote as a “conservative budget” that could still appeal to senators in both parties.

“I think there’s something in my version of a budget for both Republicans and Democrats because mine calls for a freeze in spending, but would allow the different appropriations committees to decide where the spending would be cut,” he said.

The Senate is expected to pass the shell budget this week, which includes repeal instructions, with a marathon voting session tentatively expected for Wednesday.

Republicans need 50 votes to clear the resolution. With Paul expected to vote against, it they can only afford to lose one additional GOP senator.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged deficit hawks ahead of the vote to support Paul.

“I will not support him, because I understand that the cuts that he is proposing are devastating to working families, to the elderly, to the children, to the sick and the poor,” he said. “But all my Republican friends who year after year talk about the deficit, here’s a vote that you should cast.”