Senate Approves Budget Resolution as Contingency Plan Amidst House Setbacks
The budget resolution has been declined by Trump, yet it is referred to by a senator as ‘plan B’ in case the House fails to pass its own resolution.
WASHINGTON—In the early hours of February 21, the U.S. Senate approved a budget resolution that outlines a framework to finance President Donald Trump’s policy initiatives, despite Trump having rejected the plan directly.
For Congress to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises—which include deporting illegal immigrants, building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and continuing tax deductions implemented by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017—new legislation must be enacted.
To facilitate funding for Trump’s initiatives, Republicans are utilizing the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to circumvent the Senate filibuster rule that normally mandates a 60-senator majority to bring legislation to a vote.
Reconciliation bills apply solely to issues concerning taxation, spending, and public borrowing, and they only require a simple majority for passage in the Senate.
However, these bills cannot increase the deficit beyond a 10-year period and cannot incorporate straightforward policy reforms—like modifications to asylum laws—that are also sought by Trump.
To initiate the reconciliation process, both the Senate and the House must adopt a budget resolution that establishes funding allocations for the fiscal year and directs committees to propose increases or reductions in spending.
The Senate passed its version of the resolution with a 52-48 vote.
“We’re … launching a process that will enable the Republican Party to fulfill President Trump’s immigration agenda,” stated Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who sponsored the resolution, during a discussion on the bill.
“We aim to utilize it to secure our border. Without this resolution, there’s no prospect,” he emphasized.
Trump has rejected the resolution, favoring the one under consideration by the House.
The Senate’s proposal entails two reconciliation bills, with the latter one addressing the more contentious aspects of taxation and the national debt limit, which are currently causing divisions among Senate Republicans.
The House’s approach would result in one reconciliation bill, a decision articulated by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as necessary due to the delicate consensus within his party.
“The Senate budget resolution serves as Plan B in case the House cannot pass their resolution,” remarked Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to The Epoch Times prior to the vote.
This perspective was echoed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who stated on February 19 that the Senate’s deliberations aimed to provide Congress with additional alternatives.
It remains possible that House Republicans, given their slim majority, may struggle to pass their resolution in light of resistance from fiscal conservatives.
The passage of the Senate resolution was a drawn-out process, as Democrats aimed to exhaust all 50 hours of debate permitted by the chamber’s regulations.
They also proposed numerous amendments—likely to fail but intended to challenge the conservative nature of the bill.
“Everyday Americans will bear the cost of tax breaks for billionaires with diminished health care … with neglected medical research … with closed family farms and enterprises,” declared Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) during the discussion on the resolution.
Both House and Senate Democrats have concentrated their opposition to reconciliation on the TCJA provisions, which are not included in the Senate’s resolution related to their first intended bill.
Both chambers must simultaneously pass the identical resolution. The absence of consensus within the Senate suggests that additional negotiations will be necessary before drafting any bills.
“We’re not constructing a wall, folks, we’re facing a wall. They require funding, and they need it now,” remarked Graham on February 11.
