Washington — On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune declared that the Senate is set to proceed with a vote on a budget proposal aimed at initiating President Trump’s agenda this week, ahead of House Republicans who are working on a rival plan.
“We must act on the clear mandate granted to President Trump by the American people in November,” Thune stated in a post on X Tuesday afternoon, noting that “[s]ecuring the border, rebuilding our defense, and unleashing American energy” will commence “this week.”
The Senate’s budget resolution is the first of two that the chamber plans to address through the reconciliation process. The first focuses on border security, defense, and energy, while the second will deal with the continuation of the 2017 tax cuts.
Meanwhile, the House is forging ahead with its own budget resolution, which aims to tackle border security, defense, energy, and tax priorities in one comprehensive bill. This could see a vote on the House floor as early as next week.
Last week, the Senate Budget Committee advanced its resolution, with plans for a floor vote on Wednesday. During the committee session, Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham from South Carolina supported the legislation, emphasizing that it would allocate $175 billion for border security and $150 billion for military enhancements, while directing committees to identify offsets compliant with reconciliation to reduce mandatory spending outside of Social Security.
Graham acknowledged the existing debate between the House and Senate regarding their approaches but felt it was crucial to proceed with the budget resolution due to the “sense of urgency” surrounding President Trump’s immigration agenda.
“The challenge we face is that ICE is running low on funds,” Graham expressed. “To my colleagues in the House, I hope you can pass one comprehensive bill that addresses President Trump’s priorities and what we, as a party, have committed to. We must act on this matter.”
The House also moved forward with its own budget proposal last week, which features up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, a minimum of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, and an increase of the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. The House is currently in recess this week but plans to introduce its resolution upon members’ return next week.
Thune’s announcement on Tuesday that the Senate will vote on this proposal soon marks a significant advancement. However, passing the budget resolution is just one obstacle in the reconciliation process.
Reconciliation enables lawmakers to bypass the 60-vote requirement in the Senate, which complicates the passage of partisan legislation. To utilize this process, both chambers must first agree on identical budget resolutions and guide committees to craft bills that adhere to new budgetary targets. Such legislation can only encompass provisions related to taxes, spending, or the debt ceiling, and all new expenditures must be offset. Additionally, the Senate parliamentarian must approve the package, resolving any disputes regarding provisions with direct budget implications.
While Senate Republicans support a two-bill strategy, House Republicans contend that passing two separate pieces of legislation increases the risk of error, especially given the narrow GOP majority in the lower chamber.
Senate Democrats have voiced their opposition to the budget resolution. During the committee markup, Sen. Patty Murray from Washington labeled the proposal as “pro-billionaire, anti-middle class,” while Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon expressed concern over potential Medicaid cuts, predicting an “effort to conceal the Medicaid cuts behind the curtain, but they will inevitably emerge.”
