Harry Reid May Force A Senate Vote On Paul Ryan's Budget

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office confirmed reports on Tuesday that the Nevada Democrat is thinking of holding a vote on Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget. That would force moderate Republican senators to take an uncomfortable political stand.

“He's considering it,” Reid’s top spokesman Jon Summers told The Huffington Post.

The idea, first reported in The Hill newspaper, would be to build off the skeptical reaction that the Ryan budget has engendered at local town hall events this past week. After voting in near unanimity to pass the measure -- which would make drastic spending cuts, lower tax rates and fundamentally alter Medicare and Medicaid -- House Republicans have faced hostile receptions back home.

The Senate, which features several moderate GOP lawmakers, has not been forced to publicly weigh-in on Ryan’s proposal. A vote could force the likes of Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), both of whom are up for re-election in 2012, to make a difficult decision.

“It’s to be determined,” another Senate Democratic leadership aide said, of forcing such a vote. “But I would bet yes. There's no reason not to.”

But there could be cause for hesitation. While House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was able to keep her members united in opposition to Ryan’s budget, Reid and his deputies still must whip their caucus.

That said, it’s hard to imagine even the biggest Democratic budget hawks voting for the measure. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) would be, perhaps, the most likely suspect but he has already come out publicly against both the Ryan budget and the president’s counter-proposal.

“While I am encouraged to see the President acknowledge the dire condition of our fiscal problems, no partisan proposal –- from either Democrats or Republicans –- will solve our nation’s problems or put our fiscal house in order," Manchin said in a statement.

UPDATE: Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responds in an email:

I guess they really don’t have an alternative, since they haven’t written a budget of their own. As Sen. McConnell said: “Congressman Ryan is presenting a plan, in other words, to address our most pressing problems head-on at a moment when the President and other Democrat leaders simply refuse to do so themselves.”

Comments

[RRS4727]

10:29 PM on 04/28/2011

Seems like an obvious decision - VOTE.

Serious question to those who spend more time studying all of this.
What is the downside for Dems?
Are there some vulnerable Dem senators - a no vote could hurt them in 2012?

[media4me2]

12:22 PM on 04/28/2011

Hey Harry,
What happened to your budget plan.
Oh wait, you never had one.
My bad.

[StCyrlyMe2]

05:28 PM on 04/27/2011

That is a wonderful idea if Senator Reid would force a Senate Vote on the Ryan Budget and watch the Republicans squirm It would be a moment in time!

[Rossetti4President2016]

02:02 PM on 04/27/2011

Come on, it's a trap vote. A literal gift to Democrats. Do it, Reid.

[babaann]

08:38 AM on 04/27/2011

I think we all want to know where our senators stand on this.

[arossana]

08:27 AM on 04/27/2011

Interesting chess match. Which republican senator will vote for it now that they have had the chance to see what the house reps have endured in town meetings.

[thejazz]

08:25 AM on 04/27/2011

VOTE ON IT!!!

[Hobay]

08:20 AM on 04/27/2011

Whenever I hear an elected official "announce that he is considering" some move, I read first that he is fund raising, second that he is negotiating some other legislation.

[istvan13]

08:16 AM on 04/27/2011

Typical GOP lie and misdirection: "Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responds in an email, I guess they really don’t have an alternative, since they haven’t written a budget of their own."

The President and the Progressive Caucus have both submitted budgets. But like all things Republican they like to push the lie that they are have the only budget. The progressive budget is better than the President's, but you wouldn't know that from the press.

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=70§iontree=5,70

[Kate Zeiss]

08:09 AM on 04/27/2011

You go, Harry, a little hardball is long overdue.

[media4me2]

12:23 PM on 04/28/2011

Hard he doesn't have.

[twinkledawnn]

02:39 PM on 05/10/2011

you would know

[tinyrainbows]

08:09 AM on 04/27/2011

Do it Harry. Let the Dems show they don't have the courage to cut spending.

[media4me2]

12:24 PM on 04/28/2011

You are right. The Dems don't have the courage to cut spending.

[twinkledawnn]

02:40 PM on 05/10/2011

If you graph debt over the last 50 years. There is a clear pattern. Debt goes up under Republicans. Debt goes down under democrats. You are being lied to.

[SeanMMasters]

07:57 AM on 04/27/2011

Don't think about it, Harry, DO IT. Drop the inexcusable tolerance for the GOP's antics and start playing hardball.

[LMK123]

07:53 AM on 04/27/2011

Bring this to a vote Harry! The Republicans are already getting yelled at by their (former) supporters for Ryan's insane budget bill. No worries if the bill passes the Senate. Obama will veto it and......the Republicans who voted in favor will be voted out in 2012. It's a win win for the Dems.
I think Harry will do it.

[william95]

07:41 AM on 04/27/2011

Go ahead Repugs, vote for it or run away like the pathetic cowards you are proving yourselves to be.

[Heath2740]

08:18 AM on 04/27/2011

Well the cowards would be the Democrats, ie Harry in the Senate. The House, did not run and already voted on the bill. So, the only ones being cowards would be the Democratic controled Senate.

[kent4620]

07:40 AM on 04/27/2011

the Democrat Senator's up for re-election in 2012, can not be happy about this vote.