Notwithstanding the backing of nearly all Democrats, Senate progressives were unable to beat back passage of a Republican-backed fiscal year 2005 budget resolution (S.Con.Res. 95) hailed by conservatives as a "good balance between fiscal discipline, continued tax relief, and strong support for our military and [homeland] security." The way in which Congress develops tax and spending legislation is guided by a set of specific procedures laid out in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Most importantly, the Budget Act calls for the annual development of a congressional "budget resolution." This resolution sets overarching limits on spending and on tax cuts that apply to legislation developed by individual committees - including the appropriations committees, tax-writing committees, and other committees that have jurisdiction over certain spending programs - as well as to any amendments offered to such legislation on the House or Senate floor. Although the concurrent budget resolution does not become law, it still must be adopted in identical form by both the House and the Senate. Therefore, once each house adopts its budget resolution, the differences must be resolved, usually in a conference committee. The Senate budget resolution was a five-year budget plan that would limit fiscal 2005 discretionary spending to $821 billion. It would allow an $80.6 billion five-year tax cut package to be protected by reconciliation rules. Under pay-as-you-go rules in the Senate (PAYGO), any tax cuts or new entitlement spending have to be explicitly paid for with revenue increases or entitlement cuts. The resolution would set aside $30 billion for additional fiscal year 2005 spending to support military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Senate adopted the budget resolution 51-45. However, progressives sharply criticized the budget priorities and its failure to rein in deficit spending through roll back of tax cuts on the very wealthy or sew up of corporate tax loopholes. Progressives also attacked the conservative-backed resolution with having under funded "vital" priorities, such police services, and firefighter grants; the Leave No Child Left Behind Act and port security. The majority vote in favor of the budget resolution means the Senate Finance Committee, in crafting a fiscal year 2005 budget, will not be obligated to increase funding levels for any of these policy initiatives cited by progressives as presently being short-changed.