Dems, GOP Lawmakers Sell Budgets Back Home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats are selling their budget plans back home as models for how they would run Washington if they win the November elections.

With the presidency and the majorities of Congress at stake, House Republicans are showing off their $3.5 trillion plan to slash the deficit and the size of government by far more than Democrats want. Democrats, meanwhile, insist on imposing higher taxes on the rich and preserving Medicare, transportation, research and other programs they say are jeopardized by the Republicans.

The debate is providing Republicans and Democrats an opportunity to define their priorities and values. Voters, meanwhile, get a more detailed look at how each party would spend their hard-earned tax dollars at a time when jobs and the economy top the list of Americans' concerns.