The Senate approved a budget resolution early Saturday morning following a grueling overnight session with forced votes on more than 20 amendments.
Why it matters: It’s an important step for Congressional Republicans seeking to pass President Trump’s ambitious agenda on taxes, energy and the border. But the hard part is still to come.
- The resolution passed by a vote of 51-48. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.) voted against it, along with Democrats.
- Now it’s in the hands of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Between the lines: The reconciliation process allows the Senate to skirt the filibuster to pass budget-related measures.
- It also allows Senate Democrats to make the process miserable through unlimited amendment votes.
- The so-called vote-a-rama began Friday evening and lasted until after 2am on Saturday morning, with Democrats forcing Republicans to take tough votes on everything from tariffs to Medicaid cuts.
Zoom in: The budget resolution would raise the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion.
- It would make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent. It does so by relying on a current policy baseline, an accounting maneuver that zeroes out the otherwise $4 trillion cost.
- Some Republicans have been wary of the move, concerned that it could ultimately get rejected by the Senate parliamentarian, who serves as the chamber’s rule-keeper.
- The resolution includes an extra $1.5 trillion for other tax priorities, such as Trump’s promised “no tax on tips.” It provides $175 billion for the border and $150 for defense.
What to watch: One major fight to come will be over how to pay for the new spending, with conservatives — and DOGE — pushing for serious cuts.
- The resolution instructs Senate committees to find a minimum of $4 billion in savings. The House’s version set the minimum at $1.5 trillion.
- Some Republicans will be pushing for even more than $1.5 trillion in cuts.
- At the same time, there is bipartisan concern that such levels of spending reductions will require significant cuts to Medicaid.