WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are targeting Republicans on taxes and health care cuts, seeking to inflict political pain as the Senate moves ahead on a $4 trillion budget blueprint that's a crucial step in the GOP's drive to rewrite the tax code.

Democrats are offering amendments to strike provisions from the GOP budget that promise to cut Medicare by almost $500 billion over the coming decade and slash the Medicaid health program for the poor by twice as much.

Another amendment would try to block Republican plans to add the 10-year, $1.5 trillion tax cut to the nation's $20 trillion debt.

Republicans controlling the Senate, on track to pass the budget measure later this week, are likely to reject the Democratic moves.