U.S. Senate Democrats on Wednesday unveiled their budget blueprint for the new fiscal year starting October 1, a competing version to the House GOP plan and the first budget in the Senate in four years.

　　The plan, presented by Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murry, would seek 975 billion dollars in spending cuts over the next decade and roughly the same amount of new tax revenues.

　　The blueprint also proposed a 100 billion dollars stimulus package which would fund infrastructure projects and education programs.

　　In contrast with the House GOP budget, the Senate plan will not balance the budget but will put the deficit on a sustainable path.

　　At the markup of the plan among her Senate colleagues, Murry said the highest priority of her budget is to create the conditions for job creation, economic growth, and prosperity built from the middle out, not the top down.

　　"Our budget is built on three principles: Number one, we need to protect our fragile economic recovery, create jobs, and invest in long-term growth. Number two, we need to tackle our deficit and debt fairly and responsibly. And number three, we need to keep the promises we've made as a nation to our seniors, our families, and our communities," Murry stated.

　　Her comments to some extent echoed the President Barack Obama's position. He told House Republicans Wednesday that his priority is to prevent an economic slowdown, but not a 10-year balanced budget.

　　The House GOP plan, put forth by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan on Tuesday, revived some controversial issues in the budget battle. It pledged to wipe out budget deficits by 2023 without raising taxes. It called for a repeal of Obama's signature healthcare law, overhauls of Medicare and Medicaid, and consolidation of tax rates into two of 10 percent and 25 percent.

　　As was the case last year, Ryan proposed to partly privatize Medicare, and convert Medicaid and food stamps programs into block grants.

　　The Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to vote on Murry's plan Thursday, followed by a floor debate next week. Ryan also prepares for a vote on his budget in committee this week before moves it to the full House next week.

　　The U.S. Congress acted earlier this year to extend the debt limit through mid-May. It also set a deadline for the House and Senate to pass a formal budget.

　　"I am hopeful that the House of Representatives will join us at the bargaining table and we can work together toward the responsible and bipartisan budget deal the American people expect and deserve," Murry said.

　　相关新闻：美国国会参议院预算委员会主席帕蒂?默里等民主党议员13日提议，美国联邦政府需要通过减少政府浪费、增加税源等途径，在未来十年内削减联邦政府约两万亿美元的财政赤字。

　　默里在当天公布的2014财年(2013年10月开始)预算报告中提出，为削减财政赤字，美国联邦政府需要通过减少政府浪费和医疗福利开支等努力，在未来十年内总共削减约9750亿美元的财政赤字。

　　默里还提议，通过减少有利于富人和大企业的税收漏洞来为政府增收，预计未来十年可以给政府增加9750亿美元的新税源，从而通过开源、节流两个途径，共计减少联邦政府财政赤字约2万亿美元。

　　根据美国联邦政府的正常预算审批流程，美国总统每年要在2月初向国会提出下一财年的预算草案，国会参众两院将就此举行听证会，提出各自的预算版本并协商解决两个版本之间的分歧，参众两院要在4月15日之前将最后商定的预算议案版本提交总统签署生效。

　　美国民主、共和两党近年来多次围绕财政议题博弈，导致正常的预算审批流程变得形同虚设，白宫4月初才会向国会提交2014财年的预算草案报告。美国会众议院预算委员会主席保罗?瑞安12日提出了众议院的预算版本，默里13日提出的是参议院的预算版本。两个预算版本之间区别很大，表明美国两党还有较大的分歧需要弥合。

　　2012财年，美国联邦政府的财政赤字接近1.1万亿美元，为连续第四个财年突破1万亿美元大关，居高不下的财政赤字成为美国面临的严峻挑战。