Senate Republicans and Democrats made sure that senators running for re-election and president had to make some tough choices on Thursday during the debate over the2009 budget proposal.

The Senate voted on more than 40 amendments to the so-called budget resolution, a blueprint for spending and tax proposals for the fiscal year starting on Oct. 1, 2008.

House Democrats passed their own budget resolution on Thursday, too, but they did not allow amendments. They did, however, let the Congressional Black Caucus, Progressive Caucus, and the Republican Study Committee to offer their own budgets (please see previous post for results).

Back to the Senate.

In response to the city of Berkeley, Calif., kicking the Marine Corps recruiting station out of town, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., proposed eliminating local projects or earmarks for the city. The Senate rejected the measure, but Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both Republicans, voted for it.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., offered an amendment to bar federal aide to so-called "sanctuary cities" or cities with policies that do not crack down on illegal immigration. The Senate approved the amendment; Snowe and Collins voted for it.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., offered a measure to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which passed easily with support from Collins and Snowe.

Four senators voted to reject the amendment: Sens. DeMint, James Inhofe, R-Okla., Jon Kyle, R-Ariz., and Tom Carper, D-Del.

Collins and Snowe also voted for a measure to reduce the estate tax on farmers and small businesses; the amendment failed 48-50.

They voted for another amendment offered by Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., to cut spending by five percent at agencies given a poor performance rating by the Office of Management and Budget Program Assessment Rating Tool.

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