Having lost their supermajority in the Senate, the Democrats resorted to a questionable budget procedure to defeat a filibuster.

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They also included language that allows for the controversial procedure called "budget reconciliation" for health care, a tool that would limit debate on major policy legislation.

CNN: Senate follows House, passes Obama budget plan

The EU also launched an Excessive Deficit Procedure and requested that the government outline measures to sustainably reduce the budget deficit to under 3% of GDP.

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As part of the EU's budgetary procedure , MEPs need to give formal approval to the way in which the budget was spent two years previously.

BBC: Budget 2007 discharge debate