Forced by opponents to hold votes after midnight, GOP leaders held the support of just enough Republican and Democrats to give final Congressional approval to a two year bipartisan budget deal, as lawmakers backed away from a possible U.S. government default.
The final vote ended just after 3 am.
Credit: Jamie Dupree
Credit: Jamie Dupree
As in the House, there was a majority of Republicans who voted against the deal, led this time by some of those running for President, as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) rushed back from this week's debate to denounce the plan on the floor of the Senate.
Cruz, meanwhile, launched another blistering attack on his party's leadership in the Congress, attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor, and accusing him of being the leader of the other party.
"The Majority Leader disputes the characterization that he is the most effective Democratic leader modern times have seen," Cruz said.
As he did after a Cruz attack earlier this year, where Cruz called McConnell a liar on the floor of the Senate, the GOP Leader did not respond.
The budget deal now goes to President Obama for his signature.
The plan would funnel $80 billion more into the federal budget over the next two years, divided evenly between the military and domestic spending.
The Congressional Budget Office found the extra spending would be fully offset through a series of savings and entitlement reforms; opponents say it's nothing but budget gimmicks.
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