After a marathon budget debate on the floor that spanned two days and included seven different proposals, the House on Thursday narrowly passed House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s, R-Wis., 2013 budget proposal.
Just before the final 228-191 vote, the House rejected the Democratic alternative plan sponsored by House Budget ranking member Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., 262-163.
Ryan’s budget squeaked out of committee last week on a 19-18 vote, after two conservatives, Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., and Justin Amash, R-Mich., voted against it because of concerns the top line was too high. Huelskamp and Amash initially passed on the vote, only registering “no” after it was clear the plan would pass without their help.
That same deference was on display on Thursday, as a frequently divided party came together behind Ryan’s plan and gave the Wisconsin Republican a loud round of applause. Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said earlier in the week that while he preferred his group’s more conservative budget, he told RSC members he would vote for the Ryan plan. The RSC plan failed 285-136.
The chamber had already voted down substitute budgets amended to the bill, including a GOP amendment that substituted President Obama’s proposal, which failed 414-0, and a bipartisan proposal based on the 2010 fiscal commission’s recommendations, which failed 382-38.
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