— The U.S. Senate voted down five budget proposals Wednesday, including one proposed by President Barack Obama and four proposed by Republicans.

Republicans essentially forced votes on the measures, hoping in this election year to highlight the fact that the Senate, controlled by Democrats, has not passed a budget in three years.

“Instead of fulfilling the Senate’s legal requirement to pass a budget for more than 1,110 days, the Democrat-led Senate has once again blocked Republican attempts to pass a responsible federal spending blueprint,” said Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a member of Senate Republican leadership.

Democrats contend that the senate has essentially passed a budget. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat up for reelection this year, said the federal government is acting under a budget based on caps established during the debt ceiling fight last year. McCaskill opposed all five measures — including the president’s — calling them “each more extreme than the last.”

“These people,” McCaskill said, referring to the Republican bills, “need to drop their obsession with dismantling Medicare, Social Security, and Pell Grants, and instead turn their focus to putting more folks back to work with new job opportunities, and balancing the budget in a responsible way.”

John Brunner, one of the Republicans vying for their party’s nomination to replace McCaskill, said McCaskill has “failed Missourians” in not passing a budget.

“It’s simply disgraceful that Senator Claire McCaskill refuses to offer a budget resolution or, at least, vote in favor of one,” Brunner said.

Brunner, however, along with his rival Sarah Steelman, has not endorsed a budget proposal. The two have both said they would support measures to cut and balance the budget, but have not signed on to any specific proposal.

U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, a third Republican hoping to challenge McCaskill, has supported the budget proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.