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Senate Democrats sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., on Friday calling for votes on four bills benefiting the middle class that were approved as non-binding amendments to the budget resolution last month.

The Democratic lawmakers said the proposals all garnered significant Republican support during the budget "vote-a-rama" that took place before the two-week Easter recess.

The Senators called for up-or-down votes on legislation to provide paid sick leave for workers, protect pregnant workers from discrimination, ensure same-sex couples have equal access to federal benefits and enact tax cuts for middle class families.

During the budget process, three of the four proposals received at least the 60 votes needed to override a filibuster, although the amendment providing equal access to benefits for same-sex couples fell three votes short.

"As you know, amendments to the budget that are voted on during vote-a-rama do not have the force of law," the Senators wrote. "However, a bipartisan majority vote on an amendment can be an important mark of whether or not a certain policy can pass the Senate with a 60 vote affirmative threshold."

The added, "Too often, the budget vote-a-rama is characterized as a partisan exercise that leaves no lasting policy impact. Working with you, we hope to make this Budget vote-a-rama different."

The Democrats reiterated their opposition to the underlying Senate Republican budget but argued that their proposals deserve a vote.

Responding to the letter, McConnell spokesman Don Stewart noted that the Democrats left out a lot of Republican amendments that passed with bipartisan support, adding, "I'm sure that was just an oversight."

"Despite not bringing many of these issues to the floor when they were in the majority, under the new Congress' return to regular order, Senators of both parties now have the opportunity to work with the appropriate committee chairmen to report bipartisan legislation that complies with the budget," Stewart said.

The letter was signed by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Bob Casey, D-Penn., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Al Franken, D-Minn.

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Democrats Ask McConnell For Binding Votes On Middle Class Bills

MSNBCs Thomas Roberts: Clintons Continued Stumbles May Bring About Buyers Remorse For Democrats
MSNBC #39;s Thomas Roberts: Clinton #39;s Continued Stumbles May Bring About Buyer #39;s Remorse For Democrats (April 7, 2015)

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MSNBCs Thomas Roberts: Clintons Continued Stumbles May Bring About Buyers Remorse For Democrats - Video

Colorado Capitol Dome (Denver Post file photo)

House Democrats are poised to add $5 million to the state budget bill for a controversial program that provides intrauterine contraceptive devices to teenagers, a move that may derail negotiations with Republicans on the $25 billion spending plan.

The money will continue a privately funded program that provides IUDs or other long-acting reversible birth control to women at little to no cost one credited with a 42 percent decline in the state's teen abortion rate and a 39 percent drop in the teen birth rate in five years.

The House is expected to consider the amendment along with 38 others Wednesday afternoon in a marathon session on the budget bill. But the majority Democratic caucus took an informal vote earlier in the day to support the provision after a verbal whip crack from House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, who shut down initial misgivings about the procedural move.

"Members, we need this amendment," the Boulder Democrat said, cutting off debate on the move that initially drew a handful of Democratic opponents. "This is a priority for the caucus. This is belt and suspenders in case the bill doesn't pass we need the appropriation."

Democrats are pushing to put the language in the budget because a related bill to continue the Colorado Family Planning Initiative won't survive the state Senate, where Republicans control the majority.

Senate Republicans oppose the measure, with some saying it represents a duplication to services provided in the federal health care law and others suggesting IUDs cause abortions a point disputed by the medical community.

Senate Republicans opposed a similar amendment to the budget bill a week earlier, meaning the two chambers will need to work out the differences in a conference committee next week.

However, this provision may prove especially difficult. For it to win approval in the conference committee, which is the Joint Budget Committee, it needs at least one Senate Republican to support it.

John Frank: 303-954-2409, jfrank@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ByJohnFrank

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Democrats to seek $5 million for IUD program in Colorado budget battle

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Democrats are renewing their call for significant changes to Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal, including reducing a $300 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System and spending more money on public schools.

The four Democrats on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee sent a letter Wednesday to the Republican co-chairs of the committee asking for a series of changes in light of comments from the public in reaction to Walker's plan.

The Democrats are calling for removal of a proposed cut to the SeniorCare program as well as changes to the structure of the state's long-term care system for the elderly and disabled.

Republicans have signaled that SeniorCare will be protected and cuts Walker proposed to public schools and UW will be reduced, especially if tax collection projections improve.

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Democrats renew call for changes to Walker budget

The political problems that President Obama may have selling the Iranian nuclear deal were emphasized quite well yesterday when New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is set to succeed Harry Reid as leader of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate,endorsed legislationthat would essentially require the president to submit whatever deal is finally reached by the June 30 deadline in the framework for approval by Congress:

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, one of Capitol Hills most influential voices in the Iran nuclear debate, is strongly endorsing passage of a law opposed by President Barack Obama that would give Congress an avenue to reject the White House-brokered framework unveiled last week.

The comments Monday by the Democratic leader-in-waiting illustrate the enormity of the task ahead for Obama and his team: While theres no guarantee that Congress would ultimately reject an agreement with Iran, theres an increasingly bipartisan consensus that Congress should at least have the ability to do so.

His comments came as the White House press secretary was panning the legislation, which was written by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and would allow Congress to vote to suspend the lifting of sanctions. A committee vote on the measure is planned for next week.

Schumer is a potentially decisive figure in whether the Iran measure will eclipse veto-proof support in Congress, given his expected ascension to the Democratic leaders job in 2017 and the diminished influence of indicted Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who recently relinquished his position as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel.

Within the Senate Democratic Caucus, a dozen senators have either co-sponsored Corkers legislation or indicated they could support it. That would put the measure one vote shy of a veto-proof majority. On Monday, three more Democratic senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Claire McCaskill of Missouri left open the possibility of voting for it, according to aides. Their support, however, could hinge on whether Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the new ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, is able to negotiate concessions that alleviate concerns the bill could derail any agreement.

Capitol Hill aides in both parties on Monday said it is not clear what changes Democrats will seek. The bill would give Congress 60 days to review the Iran framework by freezing sanction relief and allowing lawmakers the ability to formally disapprove or approve of the legislation. One possibility is to clarify that the legislation governs only congressional sanctions rather than ones that originated from global agreements or the White House.

With no co-sponsors publicly backing away from Corkers bill in recent days, Democratic supporters said they have detected a shift in rhetoric from the White House. They pointed to Obamas comment to The New York Times over the weekend in which hesuggestedfinding a legislative compromise that allows Congress to express itself but does not encroach on traditional presidential prerogatives.

I read what the president said last night, looking for a way to work with Congress on that. They are now in a realistic position: That Congress is going to weigh in, said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who co-wrote the bill while making technical consultations with the White House. He called Obamas tone in that interview just a recognition of the reality of the situation on Capitol Hill.

But White House press secretary Josh Earnest declined to entertain that possibility, telling reporters on Monday that the White House sees no way to reconcile Corkers bill with the presidents mission of finishing Iran negotiations before Congress votes on anything.

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Will Democrats like Chuck Schumer help scuttle Obama's Iran deal?