http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2523120/ZERO-Senate-Republicans-support-budget-agreement-Democrats-five.htmlIt's war! Senate gears up for epic battle as ZERO Republicans line up to support budget agreement (and Democrats need to find at least five)
Congress needs to pass a new budget by January 15 to avoid another government shutdown
Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray negotiated a framework and tried to sell it to their respective majorities
The GOP-led House passed the plan Thursday night despite complaints from tea partiers and other budget hawks
But objections from Senate Republicans, including a claim that the plan restores spending cuts by shortchanging veterans' pensions, could kill it
By David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor
PUBLISHED: 07:45 EST, 13 December 2013 | UPDATED: 07:51 EST, 13 December 2013
A landmark budget agreement that passed in the U.S. House on Thursday faces certain death in the Senate unless at least five Republicans step up to support it – but so far there are no takers at all.
The GOP's Senate leaders plan to launch a procedural effort to kill the plan over a laundry list of objections – including a claim that it short-changes military veterans and other government retirees.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin conceded that he needs to find Republicans who will vote for the measure after Republicans announced their intention Thursday night to block the deal.
'We need Republican votes to pass the budget agreement, period,' Durbin told reporters on Thursday. 'We need at least five. And I’m hoping that there will be more than that.'
Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and the third-most powerful Senate leader, acknowledged that 'there are not five Republicans who have announced they’re for it.'
In fact, no Republican senators have publicly said that they will vote in favor of the agreement that Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray unveiled Tuesday evening.
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