By Gabriella Borter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Republicans plan to push ahead on Thursday on a bill to advance President Donald Trump’s priorities on immigration, energy and defense, even after he urged them to scrap that effort in favor of a House bill that would also include trillions of dollars in tax cuts.
Trump came down firmly in favor of House of Representatives Republicans’ plan for one sweeping bill. Backers of that plan fear that passing an immigration bill first could diminish their chances of extending $4.5 trillion in tax cuts in the House, where his party holds a narrow and fractious 218-215 majority.
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Senate Republicans said they would nonetheless push ahead with what is expected to be an all-night session, seeking to bypass Democratic opposition in that chamber and secure an early legislative win for Trump.
Democrats lack the votes to stop the bill, but have vowed to fight it as long as possible, accusing Republicans of selling out American families to benefit the wealthy with tax breaks.
“They better get ready for a late night and a long morning,” Senator Patty Murray of Washington told reporters on Wednesday.
Both chambers of Congress need to pass the same budget resolution to unlock the parliamentary tool that would enable Republicans to enact Trump’s legislative agenda in a way that circumvents Democratic opposition and the Senate filibuster.
“In the end, we’ll be able to, whether it’s one bill or two bills, to get all the things that the president’s outlined – his objectives – across the finish line,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Wednesday.
The Senate’s bill, which leaves the issue of Trump’s desired extension of his 2017 tax cuts to a later date, could serve as a backup in case House Republicans cannot come to an agreement on how to pay for the tax cuts in their bill without slashing funding for popular safety net programs like Medicaid and Social Security or adding significantly to the country’s $36 trillion debt.
Senate Republicans began moving forward with their own budget resolution last week in response to what they described as a plea for border and immigration funding from Trump “border czar” Tom Homan and White House budget director Russ Vought. They also worry that the rush for all-encompassing legislation may not provide enough time to adequately handle the intricacies of the tax component.
The Senate measure, a $340 billion fiscal 2025 budget resolution, would boost spending by $85 billion a year for four years to fund tighter border security, Trump’s deportation of immigrants in the country illegally, energy deregulation and an increase in military spending. Republicans say the plan would offset the higher spending with funding cuts in other areas.
The House budget resolution includes those same priorities along with $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, while seeking to cover the cost through $2 trillion in spending cuts and accelerated economic growth based mainly on the tax and energy policy changes it would usher in.
The Senate could be in session through the night before the final vote in what is called a “vote-a-rama,” where amendments can be offered until both parties agree to stop.
(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio)
