The Senate approved a $340 billion budget resolution early Friday, laying the groundwork for increased funding for immigration enforcement, energy production, and military expansion. The measure passed in a 52-48 vote, with Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) the only Republican to join Democrats in opposition.
The vote followed a prolonged "vote-a-rama" session that stretched into the early morning, during which senators debated 33 amendments over a 10-hour span. The Republican-backed resolution advances President Donald Trump's legislative priorities but faces uncertainty as the House prepares to debate its own, more expansive budget proposal next week.
"Without this bill passing, there is no hope of getting money for the border," Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said ahead of the vote. The Senate resolution allocates $175 billion for immigration enforcement, including funding for border security and deportation operations. It also designates $150 billion for military expansion, aligning with Trump's push for a stronger defense posture.
Trump has endorsed the House's version of the budget-a sweeping package that pairs tax cuts with border security and defense funding-calling it "one big, beautiful bill." However, Senate Republicans indicated that their resolution serves as a necessary backup plan should the House's proposal falter.
"To my House colleagues: We will all get there together," Graham said. "If you can pass the one big, beautiful bill that makes the tax cuts permanent-not four or five years-then we'll all cheer over here. Nothing would please me more than Speaker [Mike] Johnson being able to put together the bill that President Trump wants. But I cannot sit on the sidelines and not have a plan B."
Paul, known for his fiscal conservatism, criticized the budget for contradicting GOP claims of reducing government spending. "If we were fiscally conservative, why wouldn't we take the savings from Elon Musk and DOGE and move it over here and help with the border?" Paul said on the Senate floor. "Why would we be doing a brand new bill to increase spending by $340 billion?"
The budget resolution directs Senate committees to draft legislation that aligns with its framework, allowing for an expedited reconciliation process that bypasses the usual 60-vote threshold and requires only a simple majority. The process also permits unlimited amendments, which Democrats used to force Republicans into politically sensitive votes.
One amendment proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) sought to prohibit tax cuts for high earners if Medicaid funding was reduced. It failed 49-51, with only Sens. Susan Collins (R., Maine) and Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) siding with Democrats. Another amendment, introduced by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R., Alaska), established a deficit-neutral reserve fund for protecting Medicare and Medicaid, though Democrats argued it provided little substantive protection.
Vice President JD Vance signaled confidence in the Republican strategy, suggesting that Congress is "on track" to pass a reconciliation package by May or June. "I think the president has learned a lot about how D.C. works," Vance said at the Conservative Political Action Conference. "It's very rare that you can get two reconciliation bills done in one Congress, which is why he thinks we've got to do a lot with that one big, beautiful bill."
Trump himself praised the Senate's efforts, writing on Truth Social, "Thank you to Majority Leader John Thune and the Republican Senate for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda. We are setting records, the likes of which have never been seen before, on stopping criminal illegal aliens from entering our country."
Despite the Senate's momentum, the path forward remains contentious. The House's budget resolution, which includes an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts alongside border security and military funding, has yet to secure a floor vote. Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) has dismissed the Senate's plan, insisting that tax cuts must be included in the final package.
Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.), a member of the Budget and Appropriations committees, underscored the challenges ahead. "The budget resolution is just patty cake," he said. "The real work begins when you start putting together the bill and the pay-fors. The only prediction I'll make is that a reconciliation bill will not pass either the House or the Senate without substantial spending reductions."
As negotiations continue, Senate Democrats have vowed to keep pressing Republicans on tax and spending priorities. "Tonight, one amendment at a time, Democrats exposed Republicans' true colors here on the Senate floor," Schumer said in a statement. "For the first time this year, Senate Republicans were forced to go on record and defend their plans to cut taxes for Donald Trump's billionaire friends."
