Conrad: Senate budget likely to be released this week

Conrad also briefed Democrats in May on a draft budget that was described as having roughly a 50-50 split between spending cuts and tax increases, but he did not push ahead with that proposal.

GOP senators — led by Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the ranking member on Budget — have sharply criticized their Democratic colleagues for not passing a budget in more than two years.

{mosads}On Tuesday, Conrad told reporters that the plan currently under discussion had some similarities to his previous plan, but declined to go into any detail.

“Are there changes? Yeah. There’s significant changes,” the senator said.

“I feel very good about it. It’s, to me, a very responsible, rational package,” he also said.

Conrad signaled that he hoped the plan could play a role in hammering out a broad deficit-reduction plan as well.

“I’m under no illusion. This package is not going to be the final package,” the Budget chairman said. “There’s only one place where this can be resolved and that is a meeting with the leadership — Republican and Democrat, Senate and House — and the president.”

He also said he has no plans right now to brief GOP senators on Wednesday about the budget.