They Voted For You: the Federal Budget

With a notable absence, West Virginia's delegation followed the lead of the rest of Congress in passing multitrillion-dollar federal budget proposals along party lines.

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller helped fellow Democrats pass that body's version, a " blueprint that calls for spending $3.5 trillion and forecasts a deficit of $1.2 trillion," The Associated Press reports.

That vote was 55-43, with Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., the sole member who did not vote.

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, earlied voted for a version that "calls for spending of $3.6 trillion for the budget year that begins Oct. 1, and includes a deficit of $1.2 trillion," AP reports. It passed 233-196, without the support of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, or any other House Republican.

"Republicans in both houses accused Democrats of drafting plans that would hurt the recession-ravaged economy in the long run, rather than help it, and saddle future generations with too much debt," the article said. "But a Republican alternative fared poorly in the House, where 38 GOP lawmakers voted against a plan supported by their own leadership."

Capito was among those Republicans in that 137-293 vote.