Washington, Mar 27: The US Senate has approved a 2.2 trillion dollar budget, which kept in place sharp reductions on a 726 billion dollar tax cut sought by the White House. The Republican-controlled Senate approved yesterday the measure by a vote of 56 to 44, but Republican leaders were less than jubilant in victory, after a protracted and contentious budget battle in which neither side could claim outright victory. It was "not an easy process," said Don Nickles of Oklahoma, at a press conference immediately following the vote. "It was not the prettiest process in the world."
Republicans suffered a setback in the budget process on Tuesday, when Democrats succeeded in swaying three moderate Republican members to break ranks and vote to slash by half the huge tax cuts proposed by President George W Bush as part of his economic stimulus program. The White House submitted its tax cut proposal to Congress in January, as part of its 10-year 2004 budget. Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives approved a budget bill keeping the President's tax cut intact.
In a statement issued shortly after the vote, the President said the Senate's decision to trim his tax cut proposal was "unfortunate" and expressed the hope his plan would be restored in conference. Bureau Report