Politics | debt ceiling Senate Votes Down Reid's Plan But real deal is still being worked on By Evann Gastaldo Posted Jul 31, 2011 12:48 PM CDT Copied Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., speaks during a news conference on debt ceiling legislation on Capitol Hill on Saturday, July 30, 2011, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) As expected, the Senate voted today not to move forward with Harry Reid's debt ceiling proposal in a 50-49 vote. The Wall Street Journal notes that the vote was "anti-climactic," since the real work on hammering out a deal by the end of the day is happening behind the scenes between the White House and House and Senate leaders. Following the vote, Reid told senators to take a break. Although he didn't offer a timetable for when to expect a vote on a new deal, he cheekily said he wouldn't recommend anyone go off to a ball game. Reid's proposal to raise the debt ceiling included $2.2 trillion in spending cuts; the expected final deal will include $3 trillion in deficit cuts. By voting on Reid's proposal, his bill can be kept alive as the shell for any final deal that may be reached today; in fact, Reid himself voted against his own bill in order to keep it alive. See the Wall Street Journal's live blog for more details, including a spontaneous debate between Dick Durbin and John McCain over how to rein in US debt. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Report an error