The McCain substitute amendment (a.k.a. the McCain budget) failed predictably on the Senate floor earlier. As with the Republicans’ alternative stimulus bill, nearly ever member of the GOP voted to scrap the Democrats’ plan in favor of a much more conservative option. The final tally was 60-38, with Sens. Collins, Corker, and Snowe voting with the Democrats. Sen. Arlen Specter, usually identified as a swing Republican, voted for the mid-recession spending freeze after having voted for a $700 billion stimulus bill intended to combat the economic downturn.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=144196