Senate Democrats picked up some GOP reinforcements in their bid to get to a conference on a House-Senate budget agreement.
Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine joined Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., on the floor in support of going to conference without imposing special mandates on conferees.
McCain objected to a bid by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to require that Senate budget negotiators not provide for an increase in the debt limit. Instead, McCain called for a more established process of offering nonbinding instructions.
Ezra Klein: a thaw in the Senate?