Senate rejects Rand Paul’s ‘penny plan’ to balance budget

The Senate rejected Sen. Rand Paul’s balanced budget proposal known as the “penny plan.”

The measure would have cut spending by $13 trillion over 10 years and balanced the budget in five years.

“Republicans say they are for balancing a budget so today’s a litmus test. If your senator has been saying they’re for a balanced budget, they ought to vote for it,” Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on Fox News in a last-minute pitch before the vote.

He forced a vote using an old Senate rule since the body has not introduced a budget. The Senate voted 21-76 to take up the proposal rejecting the plan overwhelmingly.