For the first time in five years, a majority of House Democrats backed the Congressional Progressive Caucus' budget resolution alternative Tuesday. The caucus has 69 members, and 96 of the 188 Democrats voted in favor of its
People's Budget: A Raise for America. Last year, only 89 Democrats voted in favor of the caucus' budget. This year the budget failed 330-96.
The vote was preceded by more than an hour of debate on several budget proposals, during which each Republican used their one or two minutes allotted time to hammer on debt and defense and taxes. Democrats focused on how the GOP proposal gives new tax breaks to the wealthy while hacking away at social programs, including educational Pell Grants and food stamps.
Rep. Keith Ellison, co-chair of the caucus, noted in his short talk in support of the resolution that 150,000 Americans had signed a petition in support of the People's Budget. Daily Kos is part of coalition of groups that supported the petition drive. A shout-out goes to the 661 people who, as a result of the efforts of our activism team, phoned their representatives Wednesday urging them to back the budget.
Update: Here is the roll call.