House Passes Ryan FY2012 Budget Plan

The House of Representatives passed by a vote of 235-193 on Friday the FY2012 spending bill put forth by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (left), R-Wis., which would cut $5.8 trillion in spending over 10 years. Four Republicans voted against the measure, while no Democrats voted for it.

The Senate, where the Democrats are the majority party, is currently in recess until May 2, and will not vote on the measure, said a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., will put forth a FY2012 budget proposal “in the next month or so,” the spokesperson said.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement following the House vote, “The Republicans have made a major mistake in turning a debate over the budget into a debate over whether to keep or eliminate Medicare. We have the high ground on this issue, and we welcome a budget debate on these terms. The House Republicans have let Tea Party zeal get the better of them, and this vote will reverberate for a long time.”