As part of an effort to sow Republican divisions and kill the proposal of House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., 172 Democrats voted ‘present’ on the conservative alternative offered by the Republican Study Committee.
Had the alternative, which offers deeper spending cuts, passed, it would have replaced the Ryan proposal. It ultimately failed 119 to 136, so what the move did was force more Republicans to vote against the conservative budget.
“Dems voting present on RSC budget to highlight GOP divisions, plans to end Medicare – which bdgt does GOP support? Ryan or Ryan on steroids?” tweeted Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the Democratic whip.
