"The Republican plan to kill Medicare is part of a plan to balance the budget on the backs of seniors," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said before yesterday's vote. That plan, originating in the House authored by Republican Paul Ryan, would have dismantled Medicare guarantees in favor of a private system that would force seniors to shop for health plans.
Republicans forced a vote on the Obama Administration's budget as a ploy to show the lack of support among Democrats for it. The 97-0 vote roundly defeated the President's budget.