In a critical move, Senate Republicans adopted a budget resolution on Saturday after an exhaustive all-night voting session, edging Congress closer to implementing President Trump’s agenda. This development marks a significant step towards realising the political objectives that the Trump administration has been championing, taking the nation closer to a more secure border, a robust defense system, amplified energy initiatives, and tax cuts.
The Senate Republicans, earlier in the week, had revealed a comprehensive 70-page budget blueprint that detailed a trajectory towards the execution of President Trump’s security, defense, energy, and tax priorities. This plan has far-reaching implications, with its main intent being the perpetuation of the tax cuts implemented during Trump’s first term. In addition to making these tax cuts permanent, the resolution also sanctions $1.5 trillion in added tax cuts and proposes to increase the debt ceiling by as much as $5 trillion.
On Thursday, the Senate overcame a procedural obstacle, with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky being the only Republican dissenting vote. This paved the way for the final approval of the budget resolution during the weekend, once the senators had exhausted all amendment votes during the voting marathon known as a “vote-a-rama.”
The vote-a-rama was marked by a flurry of amendments proposed by Democrats, compelling the majority party to cast vote after vote through the night on politically sensitive issues. These issues ranged from Medicaid and Social Security to tariffs. Finally, the Senate adopted the resolution in a 51-48 vote, priming it for a vote in the House, potentially as early as the following week. The only two Republicans who voted against the resolution were Paul and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
The Republican blueprint marks the beginning of a complex reconciliation process. This process allows Congress to sidestep the 60-vote threshold typically mandated to progress legislation in the Senate. This strategic move enables Republicans to pass the bill without requiring support from Democrats. To successfully navigate this process, identical budget resolutions need to be adopted by both chambers, directing committees to submit their proposed spending plans. These plans then need to be consolidated into a bill that aligns with President Trump’s preferences. Experts predict that the entire process will span several months.
Sen. John Barrasso, the second-ranking GOP senator, commented on the budget resolution, stating that the voters had assigned Republicans a mission during the November elections, and this Senate budget plan is the delivery of that mission. “It fulfills our promises to secure the border, to rebuild our economy and to restore peace through strength,” Barrasso said, according to the Associated Press.
The compromise resolution comes on the heels of Republicans from both the House and the Senate working independently on their own budget blueprints earlier in the year before concurring on the path forward. However, differences persist over the areas and methods for implementing spending cuts. Some of these disagreements have been postponed, with leaders deciding to address them later.
The Senate has set relatively low minimum thresholds for spending cuts for several committees, amounting to just a few billion dollars. In contrast, the House calls for at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts spread across a decade. The Senate is anticipated to find savings significantly higher than the minimum specified in the resolution. However, these figures serve to provide them with flexibility in the future.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune defended the resolution on Thursday, describing it as laying the foundation for “transformational investment” in border security, national defense, and the energy sector.
The South Dakota Republican criticized Democrats, whom he accused of “losing their minds” over the measure, for claiming the tax relief is “about handouts to billionaires”. He said Democrats’ “latest hysteria” revolves around an accounting strategy known as a “current policy baseline,” which makes it appear as if making the tax cuts permanent costs nothing.
“Using the current policy baseline is not some bizarre new gimmick,” Thune said, adding that “Democrats’ sudden concern for saving money and protecting the character of the Senate is touching.”
However, Congress usually employs a “current law baseline” for budget measures, as mandated by the 1974 Budget Control Act. This considers the expiration of spending provisions. Under this policy, the extension of the Trump tax cuts, which are due to expire this year, would be treated as a policy that will continue indefinitely and won’t cost any new taxpayer dollars. However, the tax cuts were passed in accordance with a current law baseline, which set an expiration date. Therefore, extending the cuts would mean incurring new costs, in this case, about $4.5 trillion over the next decade.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, commented on Thursday that “Republicans, in essence, want to pretend like their trillion-dollar tax cuts are free — like magic.”
“Middle school math students would tell you this is ridiculous,” Schumer said.
The framework now moves to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana could bring it up for a vote as early as next week as he works towards a resolution by Memorial Day. This development marks a significant step in the nation’s political landscape, bringing the Trump administration’s policies closer to fruition.
This article is based on a report by Caitlin Yilek, a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. Yilek has previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
