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The GOP-led Senate passed a budget bill closely aligned with
President Donald Trump's legislative agenda, which includes a permanent
extension of his 2017 tax cuts and $175 billion in new border security
spending.
The resolution passed 51-48, with Republican Senators Rand
Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine joining Senate Democrats in
opposing the measure. The bill passed around 2:30 a.m. after a marathon
"vote-a-rama" session, during which Senate Democrats forced their
Republican colleagues to vote on a series of politically charged amendments
related to entitlement spending, government efficiency measures, and Trump's
tariffs.
Senate Republicans have signaled that, despite Democrats'
claims, the upcoming tax and spending bill—which will be unblocked once both
chambers pass the budget resolution—will not cut Americans' Medicaid or
Medicare benefits. They are pushing to advance Trump's legislative agenda
through budget reconciliation, a process that allows Senate Republicans to
bypass the filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority vote.