Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., voted in favor of a Budget Resolution last night that would lower taxes, increase defense resources and provide for education, health, energy and welfare policy. The Resolution now heads to a Conference with the House, where differences between the measures will be worked out.

The Senate passed the 2006 Budget Resolution by a vote of 51-49. The Budget sets taxing and spending parameters for 2006. Enzi, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, said the Senate worked this week and into the night blocking attempts by Democrats to halt energy exploration, increase spending and ultimately raise taxes.

“A number of amendments were defeated that would have spiked spending by billions of dollars,” said Enzi. “The Senate needed to pass a budget that would pay down the deficit while funding national priorities and this budget does just that.”

Enzi, who is chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, was pleased with funding priorities. The budget provides a reserve fund for legislation that addresses access to health care services and health insurance for the uninsured. On the education front, the budget provides a $5 billion reserve fund for new spending for higher education programs. The HELP Committee plans to reauthorize the Higher Education Act later this year, and the reserve fund is an important component of the reauthorization. Chairman Enzi will work to see that the reserve fund is maintained during negotiations with the House. The budget also directs the HELP Committee to reduce the deficit by $8.5 billion over five years, and $6.5 billion of these savings are expected to be found in higher education programs by reforming student loan programs. These savings will be used to reduce the deficit.

The budget instructs the Senate Finance Committee to provide $129 billion in pro-growth tax relief, such as the deduction of state and local sales taxes from federal income tax liability over the next five years, and to repeal the Social Security tax increase passed in 1993.

The resolution holds language that would allow drilling exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and operational funding for parks, refuges and public lands would see an increase in funding.

Enzi said many people confuse the budget process with the authorization and appropriations process.

“What the budget does is set up spending targets and limits. After those are established specific committees arrange spending within the target for their special priorities. The last step comes when the appropriations committees spend the real money,” said Enzi.

The House passed its version of the budget on Thursday with a vote of 218-214.