Senate gives final OK to austerity budget

May 22, 1981

The Senate gave final congressional approval to President Reagan's austerity budget blueprint, passing a $695.5 billion plan that calls for deep spending cuts in every area except defense. The action came one day after the compromise plan sailed through the House and followed a late night of heated debate over Mr. Reagan's plan to roll back domestic spending. The measure was worked out last week by House-Senate conferees, who reconciled similar versions of the plan passed earlier by the House and Senate.