Senate Republicans will vote this week on a budget blueprint that would unlock a key part of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
“It’s time to act on the decisive mandate the American people gave to President Trump in November,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote on X Tuesday afternoon. “Securing the border, rebuilding our defense, and unleashing American energy. That starts this week with passing [Budget Chair Lindsey Graham’s] budget.”
Senate Republicans have been moving quickly to advance their plan, which includes border, energy and defense policies, while House GOP leaders work to unite their conference around a package that also includes tax cuts. Under Senate Republicans’ proposal, lawmakers would come back later this year to make changes to the tax code in a separate bill.
The two sides will need to reconcile their strategies in order to eventually pass a bill under the rules of budget reconciliation, which allows them to skirt the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate.
By bringing their resolution to the floor this week, Senate Republicans will solidify their lead. Though Speaker Mike Johnson wants to bring the House GOP budget to the floor the week of Feb. 24, he’s still facing unease from some of his members — not to mention skepticism from some Senate conservatives. The House is out of Washington on recess this week.
With their one-vote margin, House GOP leadership has been pushing to include everything in one bill rather — knowing it will be harder to get their divided conference to swallow tough tax decisions without the border and energy policies included in the same bill. Senate Republicans, as well as some House hard-liners, have pushed the two-bill strategy to try to claim an early win on the border, one of Trump’s major campaign promises.
GOP senators have viewed it as increasingly likely that they would move forward this week and are preparing for a first procedural vote related to the budget resolution as soon as Tuesday. Thune, in his tweet, did not specify what day he plans to start the process.
Senate Democrats have also been quietly preparing their strategy to counter the resolution on the floor. As part of the Senate’s budget process, senators will go through an hours-long vote-a-rama, where any member who wants to force a vote on an amendment will be able to.
In a call he convened with his caucus on Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer talked through areas of focus for Democratic amendments on the floor. He “urged members to remain laser-focused on exposing the Republicans’ steadfast desire to deliver tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of American families,” according to a person familiar with the call who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.
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