By JM Rieger and Niels Lesniewski

Ahead of a vote on a fiscal 2016 budget resolution Tuesday, Democratic leaders hammered the spending blueprint they said creates long-term consequences and creates unworkable caps for the appropriations process. Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin echoed a challenge issued by Sen. Charles E. Schumer for the Republicans to advance spending bills at the agreed-upon levels. “Let’s see if the 23, 24 Republican senators up for re-election this time really want to run on this platform,” said Durbin, adding that the GOP budget identified winners and losers, the real winners being those getting estate tax relief. “4,000 Americans who have an estate worth at least $10 million are the winners. They’re each going to win about $3 million in tax relief from the Republican budget.”