Madison Democrat Mark Pocan is the only Wisconsin U-S House member to vote against a federal budget agreement that overwhelmingly passed yesterday. The 332-to-94 vote was a huge victory for Janesville Republican Paul Ryan. The House budget chair and his Democratic Senate counterpart crafted the two-year package. It raises the federal deficit by smaller amounts than planned, and eases up on some of the 63-billion dollars in automatic federal spending cuts scheduled through 2015. Pocan said the sequestration relief does not go far enough -- the deal was paid for on the backs of military families and the middle class -- and it did not include an extension of federal jobless benefits which are due to expire this month. Senate leaders promised a vote early next year on extending unemployment benefits. Menomonee Falls Republican Jim Sensenbrenner said the agreement is not perfect, but both parties made sacrifices. Milwaukee Democrat Gwen Moore said the deal is a small but positive step toward breaking a pattern of going from crisis-to-crisis. Ryan said Republicans would have to win more elections to get all of what they want -- but for now, he urged them to make the divided government work. The package now goes to the Senate, where more opposition is expected from minority Republicans.

 

 

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