Votes are expected to last through the night before a final vote on the budget resolution.
Senate Republicans on Friday night began a marathon series of votes — known as a „vote-a-rama“ — as Congress inches closer to enacting President Trump’s agenda.
Senate Republicans unveiled a new 70-page budget blueprint Wednesday that lays out a path toward implementing Mr. Trump’s border security, defense, energy and tax priorities. The resolution aims to make tax cuts that were enacted during Mr. Trump’s first term permanent while also authorizing $1.5 trillion in additional tax cuts and raising the debt ceiling by as much as $5 trillion.
The Senate cleared a procedural hurdle Thursday with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky as the only Republican defection, an indication that the party has the votes needed for final approval some time this weekend.
During the vote-a-rama, Democrats can offer an unlimited number of amendments and force the majority party to cast vote after vote through the night on highly charged political issues, including Medicaid and tariffs. After the Senate exhausts all amendment votes, lawmakers will take a final vote on the budget resolution, teeing it up for a vote in the House as soon as next week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday said it would be „a long few days for Senate Republicans.“
„You’re going to see a whole lot of amendments going after Donald Trump and the Republicans on a whole bunch of issues where they are favoring billionaires and against families“, Schumer, a New York Democrat, said.
