Senate passes FY09 budget blueprint
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Friday passed a fiscal 2009 budget plan, similar to one passed by the House of Representatives, that claims to erase chronic deficits by 2012 and spends more on domestic programs than President George W. Bush wanted.
By a vote of 51-44, the Senate approved the nonbinding budget blueprint for the fiscal year that starts October 1.
Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill reserves about $35 billion to stimulate the economy if a $152 billion economic stimulus measure recently enacted proves inadequate.
The House and Senate must still work out the differences between their two plans.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by David Alexander and Peter Cooney)
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