May 26, 2011 |

Senate Rejects Paul Ryan’s Controversial Budget

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a controversial budget plan—devised by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.)—that would have overhauled Medicare into a voucher-based program by 2022 and substantially reformed Medicaid. Five Republican senators joined the majority Democrats in opposition of the proposal in a final vote of 57-40. The Republicans who voted against the plan were Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine. Three senators—two Republicans and one Democrat—did not vote.

Opposition by some Republicans was expected prior to the vote due to the proposal’s unpopularity with seniors.

“Democrats pointed to the New York special election results on Tuesday as evidence that the American people, especially senior citizens, don’t agree with the Republican approach,” CNN.com reported. “In the election, Kathy Hochul, the Democratic clerk of Erie County, swept to victory in the race to fill the U.S. House seat previously held by Republican Chris Lee in a district controlled by the GOP for more than four decades.

“During Hochul’s victory speech Tuesday night, jubilant supporters repeatedly chanted ‘Medicare! Medicare!’”

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