Trump’s first funds will get nod after heated in a single day senate session
Friday twenty first February, 2025 02:02 PM|
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Senate Republicans took a significant step to advance President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda early Friday, February 21, 2025 morning, voting to undertake a funds blueprint that units up a conflict with House Republicans, who’ve put ahead a competing plan.
The ultimate vote got here after a uncommon in a single day work session for the Senate that began Thursday night and stretched into the early hours of the subsequent day, wrapping up shut to five am ET on Friday after lasting simply in need of ten hours. The ultimate tally was 52 to 48, with GOP Sen. Rand Paul becoming a member of Democrats to oppose the decision.
During the late-night session often known as a “vote-a-rama,” Democrats tried to pressure powerful votes for Republicans over a slate of contentious points, together with the conflict in Ukraine, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, often known as DOGE, and defending Medicare and Medicaid from cuts as Republicans search to enact Trump’s legislative priorities.
The funds decision is a non-binding blueprint that doesn’t carry the pressure of regulation. But the framework must be adopted first earlier than Senate Republicans can move laws on a party-line vote with out the help of Democrats by means of a course of often known as reconciliation. Republicans are planning to make use of that mechanism to move what they hope will likely be Trump’s signature legislative achievements.
Trump has endorsed a competing plan from House Republicans that’s extra expansive, however that didn’t cease Senate Republicans from forging forward, an indication of the challenges congressional Republicans face as they navigate narrow majorities and divergent strategy.
The House and Senate might want to reconcile their completely different approaches to discover a path ahead. But even when settlement is reached over the funds blueprint, the method of drafting the textual content of precise laws is prone to be contentious and contain painstaking negotiations that might stretch over months, doubtlessly opening up divides inside the GOP within the course of.
Senate Republicans have put ahead a funds decision that may bolster funding for immigration enforcement, nationwide safety and power manufacturing. In distinction, House Republicans have a extra far-reaching plan that may permit them to handle tax coverage, a essential challenge that Senate Republicans need to take up later as a part of a second legislative package deal.
House Republicans, with a razor-thin majority, need to handle the entire get together’s main priorities in a single invoice in a bid to get all the pieces performed directly. Senate Republicans, then again, need the get together to attain an early win on points necessary to voters, just like the border, earlier than shifting on to handle tax coverage, a thorny challenge which will take longer – and show more difficult – for the get together to string the needle.
Trump referred to as on each chambers to move the House plan on Wednesday, saying on Truth Social that it implements “my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” But the president weighed in with reward for Senate Republicans because the marathon vote session received underway Thursday night. “Thank you to Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda,” the president mentioned on Truth Social. “Your work on funding this effort is greatly appreciated!”
Democrats pressure votes on Ukraine, DOGE and defending Medicaid and Medicare Senate Democrats, locked out of energy in Washington and restricted of their potential to counter the GOP agenda, used the “vote-a-rama” to pressure powerful votes in a bid to place Republicans on document over contentious points.
Democrats tried to color Republicans because the get together of the rich in the course of the prolonged marathon vote session – and at occasions had been in a position to peel off some GOP votes.
GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine backed an modification blocking tax cuts for billionaires whereas meals costs stay excessive, and GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted with Democrats for a measure meant to decrease housing prices by easing hedge funds out of shopping for up single household properties. However, neither modification obtained sufficient help to be adopted.
Senate Democrats additionally referred to as up an modification geared toward supporting Ukraine in opposition to Russian aggression. The modification didn’t get any GOP help, nevertheless, and the vote failed. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker argued that the funds decision was “not the right fit” for the difficulty.
“There is no greater supporter of Ukraine in this Senate than I am, but this is not the right fit,” the Mississippi Republican mentioned. Wicker added, “There is a place to talk about Ukraine. It’s not this place.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons referred to as up an modification geared toward prohibiting DOGE from accessing or misusing non-public knowledge and data, which was rejected by voice vote.
The first Republican-offered modification of the marathon late-night vote session got here from GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska in a bid to indicate get together help for Medicare and Medicaid.
It was adopted 51-49, with most GOP senators voting in help, aside from Sens. John Curtis and Mike Lee voting with Democrats in opposition to it. Democrats argued the modification wouldn’t really defend folks on Medicare and Medicaid.
The GOP effort to indicate help for Medicare and Medicaid within the Senate is notable as some House Republicans have raised considerations about the way forward for Medicaid specifically because the House prepares to maneuver forward with its personal funds blueprint, which is completely different from the Senate plan.
Reading, snacks and digital excursions: How senators handed the time between votes
Senators discovered a wide range of methods to remain entertained whereas the chamber stayed in session in a single day.
As the Senate kicked off its late-night votes on Thursday night, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis grabbed a big bowl of popcorn and walked into the Republican cloakroom.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin took time between presiding over the ground and casting votes to provide a digital tour of the Capitol to his followers on X, posting dispatches from the Capitol’s rotunda and crypt all through the night time.
“As you heard: we’re doing vote-a-rama in the Senate. I don’t mind fighting, but for what? The liberals KNOW they won’t win,” he captioned one video of the rotunda. “Anyway, here’s another mini tour.”
Mullin can be the present occupant of the Senate sweet desk – whichever senator is assigned the desk is tasked with holding it stocked filled with treats for his or her colleagues. However, he famous that he’s getting “a little blowback” for the inexperienced, St. Patrick’s Day-themed sweet he supplied.
“I think I’m going to have to pivot to Easter,” he joked.
Other senators frolicked chatting with their colleagues or sitting at their desks on the ground, swiping on their telephones, going by means of amendments, and studying.