WASHINGTON - Along with all Senate Democrats, eighteen Republican senators split with the U.S. Senate majority and sent to President Obama a real treat - a budget bill with no spending or debt limits - the day before Halloween 2015.
The bill, which had previously passed the U.S. House, passed the U.S. Senate 64 to 35, with the help of Illinois' junior GOP U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, along with senior Democrat Dick Durbin.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), also a presidential candidate, attempted to filibuster the deal, but was stopped when the same eighteen GOP senators joined with Democrats to invoke cloture.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that the budget deal was like giving the president a “diamond encrusted glow in the dark AmEx card.”