Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., who negotiated a bipartisan budget compromise with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the House Budget Committee chairman, takes an escalator to the Senate for votes on nominations late Monday evening, Dec. 16, 2013, at the Capitol in Washington. Bipartisan legislation to soften across-the-board spending cuts gained ground among Senate Republicans on Monday and Democrats expressed optimism it would gain the 60 votes needed to pass by week's end. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
December 16, 2013 - 11:22 PM
WASHINGTON - Several conservative Senate Republicans have swung behind a bipartisan budget bill, apparently giving it enough momentum to win a pivotal test in the Senate over the passive resistance of top party leaders.
It will take at least five Republicans to advance the measure Tuesday over a 60-vote threshold demanded by Republican leaders under Senate rules. Announcements by Republicans Orrin Hatch, Johnny Isakson, Saxby Chambliss and others Monday that they would back that step appeared to seal enough Republican support to advance the measure to a final vote.
The budget would ease some of the harshest cuts required under automatic spending curbs. It would replace $45 billion in scheduled cuts for the 2014 budget year, lifting agency budgets to a little more than $1 trillion.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013