Senate to Tackle Budget Resolution This Week In Marathon Session

The U.S. Senate will debate a budget resolution this week that Republicans in that chamber hope will pave the way for Congress to approve hundreds of billions of dollars in defense and border security funding later this year in a separate bill.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., posted on social media Tuesday that it’s “time to act on the decisive mandate the American people gave to President Trump in November.”

“Securing the border, rebuilding our defense, and unleashing American energy. That starts this week with passing Chairman @LindseyGrahamSC’s budget,” Thune wrote, referring to Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. “Let’s get it done.”

Graham said earlier this month the new spending would be paid for by “taking money away from other parts of the government that are less worthy.”

Senate debate on the budget resolution will likely include a vote-a-rama, where senators vote on amendments throughout the night before taking a final vote on the budget resolution.

Party-line vote

Senate Republicans released their budget resolution earlier this month and the Budget Committee voted along party lines last week to send it to the floor for debate.

House Republican Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., appeared to criticize Thune’s decision to bring the budget resolution up for floor debate this week, continuing the months-long debate between the two chambers about how exactly to advance policy changes.

“It’s time to act on ALL of the powerful mandates the American people gave to @realDonaldTrump in November: Securing the border, opening up American energy to lower costs, keeping tax rates low (including no tax on tips), strengthening our national defense, a two-year extension of the debt ceiling, and passing into law @DOGE’s identified waste in government,” Scalise wrote in a social media post. “All of Trump’s priorities in one big, beautiful bill start moving when we pass @RepArrington ’s budget.”

The House Budget Committee released its own budget resolution last week and sent it to the floor. The earliest House GOP leaders could bring it to the floor is next week, since the chamber is on a week-long break and won’t return until Feb. 24.

One bill or two

The central disagreement between House and Senate Republicans is over whether to approve all of their policy goals in one bill or two.

Senate Republicans propose a two-step process in their budget resolution, while House GOP leaders want to bundle everything together in one package.

The two chambers must figure out a solution if they’re going to use the budget reconciliation process to get legislation to President Donald Trump’s desk without needing Democratic votes to get around the Senate’s legislative filibuster.

That procedural hurdle requires at least 60 senators vote to limit debate on legislation and move onto final passage. Republicans hold 53 votes in that chamber at the moment.

The House and Senate must adopt the same budget resolution with reconciliation instructions before the GOP-controlled Congress can move partisan legislation.

By Jennifer Shutt, News From The States

J. Williams

J. Williams (Jimmy Williams) is the editor of Poli Alert, where he leads coverage of Congress, the White House, the courts and the elections shaping communities across the country. A graduate of Coppin State University in Maryland, he has spent years as a writer and social media manager for multiple outlets. His focus is breaking political news down in plain language so readers know exactly what is happening and how it affects them. Reach him at [email protected].

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