WASHINGTON IN BRIEF

Senate Passes Budget Ending Tax Cuts in 2010

The Senate approved a $3 trillion budget blueprint early yesterday that would increase spending on domestic priorities while permitting many of President Bush's signature tax cuts to expire on schedule in 2010.

The Senate approved the plan 51 to 44. The nonbinding resolution's primary purpose is to set spending limits for appropriations bills that will be crafted later this year. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) joined most Democrats in voting for the proposal, while Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) joined most Republicans in voting no. Four senators did not vote, including Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

A similar budget plan was approved Thursday in the House. The House seeks $22 billion more than Bush's proposed budget while the Senate seeks about $18 billion, setting the stage for a showdown with the White House, which is already issuing veto threats.

Meanwhile, House lawmakers plan to use a parliamentary maneuver to force a $70 billion tax increase through a reluctant Senate. It is unclear what form the increase would take, but the extra money would be used to replace revenues lost by sparing more than 20 million taxpayers from paying the alternative minimum tax.

Congress must reconcile the two plans when it returns next month from a two-week break.

Study Finds Decrease In Military Sex Assaults

Fewer sexual assaults were reported among military personnel in 2007 after years of significant increases, according to a new Pentagon report.

The 2,688 cases of sexual assaults marked a decline of about 9 percent from the 2,947 reported in 2006.

"The minimal decrease in numbers should not be necessarily viewed as any type of indicator or change," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. ". . . It would be too early and premature to make any big assessments in terms of trends."

Reports of sexual assault reports had jumped by about 24 percent in 2006 and nearly 40 percent in 2005. Officials attributed the increases partly to more aggressive efforts to encourage victims to come forward.

A separate Pentagon survey reported that a third of women in the military and 6 percent of men said they were sexually harassed. The figure for women was worse than the previous finding several years ago but better than a similar survey taken in 1995, the Pentagon said.

For the Record

¿ The Senate unanimously confirmed Douglas H. Shulman as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Shulman has been vice chairman of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, previously known as the National Association of Securities Dealers.

¿ Rep. Robert E. "Bud" Cramer (D-Ala.) said he will not seek reelection this year, giving Republicans one of their best chances to pick up a seat in the November elections. Cramer's district, which stretches across the northern part of the state, went overwhelmingly for President Bush in 2004.

-- From Staff Reports and News Services