GOP senator opposes her party's budget

WASHINGTON, April 23 (UPI) -- A Republican U.S. senator says she won't vote for her party's budget that passed in the House, but she admires its author for his courage.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told WCSH-TV, Portland, Maine, she wouldn't vote in favor of the 2012 budget drafted by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., but didn't say why, The Hill newspaper reported.

"The president has yet to come up with a detailed plan," Collins said. "At least Ryan had the courage to come out with a detailed plan."

However, Obama did in fact present his budget proposal in February that would cut $400 billion in spending over the next 10 years.

Republicans claimed it didn't do enough to address the country's $14 trillion debt, and Collins led the Republican effort to create an alternative budget.

That version would cut $5.8 trillion in spending over 10 years and balance the budget by 2040 without raising taxes, the Hill said.

The bill passed the Republican-dominated House 235-193 but is expected to fail in the Democrat-controlled Senate, the newspaper said.