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Republican-controlled Senate passes budget with deep cuts

By Amy R. Connolly
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, (C), Sen. John Barrasso, R-WY, (L) and Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, speak following the Republican Senate policy luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2015. The Senators spoke on the human trafficking bill and the open letter to Iran that 47 Senate Republicans sent to the Iranian leadership informing them that any nuclear deal reached with President Obama would be tossed out when a new president takes office. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, (C), Sen. John Barrasso, R-WY, (L) and Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, speak following the Republican Senate policy luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2015. The Senators spoke on the human trafficking bill and the open letter to Iran that 47 Senate Republicans sent to the Iranian leadership informing them that any nuclear deal reached with President Obama would be tossed out when a new president takes office. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI. | License Photo

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The Republican-led Senate narrowly passed a balanced-budget plan early Friday in a 52-46 vote, after slogging through dozens of amendment votes.

Only two Republicans, Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the budget, as did all Democrats. Cruz is running for president in 2016 and Paul is considering a bid.

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Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who are also considering a run for the White House, voted in favor.

"By passing a balanced budget that emphasizes growth, common sense and the needs of the middle class, Republicans have shown that the Senate is under new management and delivering on the change and responsible government the American people expect," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement after the vote.

It took some 16 hours to get through all of the amendments, many of which did little to change policy. The budget vote came in at 3:30 a.m.

The House passed its own budget earlier this week. Lawmakers will combine the two spending blueprints to form a unified budget in the coming weeks.

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