In the wake of Democratic resistance, the Republican senators managed to push through a $340 billion budget blueprint in an intense overnight voting session. The budgetary measures are part of an effort to make available funds that the Trump administration has indicated it urgently needs for mass deportations and enhanced border security.
During this lengthy voting process, numerous amendments, most of them from Democrats, were considered. Despite the opposition, the Republicans were able to use their majority to drive the framework to approval, with a party-line vote of 52-48.
Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham expressed that this move initiates a process allowing the Republican Party to address President Trump's immigration agenda. The Trump administration, as voiced by top immigration official Tom Homan, has stressed the need for additional funding to carry out deportation operations.
The Democrats, lacking the power to halt the process, used the debate to force Republican senators into potentially awkward voting positions, including an initial vote on blocking tax breaks for billionaires, which was rebuffed on procedural grounds.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warned that the battle would be long and contentious. The budget framework serves as an initial move towards Trump's agenda, which includes plans for tax cuts and other priorities amounting to approximately $4.5 trillion. The details are being put together by House Speaker Mike Johnson in a separate budget package that also proposes reductions of up to $2 trillion in health care and other programs.
Although Trump has indicated a preference for a comprehensive bill, he is open to the Senate's strategy of first addressing the border package before turning to tax cuts later in the year.
The Republican Senate package provides for up to $175 billion in border security expenses, including funds for mass deportation operations and the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. It also includes a $150 billion increase for the Pentagon and about $20 billion for the Coast Guard.
The budget resolution is simply a blueprint that instructs the various Senate committees to work out the specifics. The process still has several stages to go through before any funds can be disbursed.
Republicans maintain that the proposed measures will be offset by potential spending cuts and new revenues. They are considering reversing the Biden administration's methane emissions fee and generating fresh revenue from energy leases in an effort to stimulate domestic energy production.
Democrats, however, have voiced concerns about the GOP's tax cuts, arguing that they mostly benefit the wealthiest Americans. They suggest that extending these tax cuts would continue this trend. Despite their efforts, the amendments to prevent tax breaks for billionaires were unsuccessful, though they did gain some Republican support.
Overall, almost three dozen amendments were considered on various topics, ranging from reversing cuts to protecting federal workers from dismissal, among others.
The budget resolution is a precursor to the reconciliation process, a tool often used to pass major bills on party-line votes when one party controls the White House and Congress. This method was used by Republicans to pass tax cuts in 2017, and by Democrats to approve COVID-19 relief and the Inflation Reduction Act during Biden's presidency.
The Republicans, however, are divided on how to proceed. While the House is pushing ahead with its comprehensive bill, the Senate is adopting a two-bill strategy, focusing on border security first before moving on to taxes.