The Senate passed a Republican budget plan early Friday in a 52-48 vote, paving the way for President Trump’s domestic agenda. Amid a lengthy “vote-a-rama” filled with proposals unlikely to pass, Democrats aimed to confront GOP priorities and prepare for midterm elections. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Republican tax cuts for billionaires, while some GOP senators, like Susan Collins and Josh Hawley, diverged by supporting Democratic measures to protect Medicaid and curb hedge fund influence. Despite bipartisan attempts, most amendments failed, with Democrats focusing on revealing GOP spending cuts as a rallying point for future campaigns.
In a pre-dawn session on Friday, the Senate approved the budget plan put forth by Republicans, largely along party lines, setting the stage for significant components of President Trump’s domestic agenda.
Before delivering their first major plan to achieve the president’s objectives, senators engaged in a prolonged ritual known as a “vote-a-rama,” characterized by hours of voting on proposals that were neither meant to pass nor become law. This all-nighter brought senators, predominantly aged 65 and above, to the floor for a flurry of procedural motions and largely empty speeches with no legislative intent, serving instead to highlight the political divide between Republicans and Democrats regarding national priorities and federal spending.
As senators gradually arrived in the chamber late Thursday, the lengthy night was anticipated. Aides carried hefty briefing folders in one hand while clutching caffeinated drinks in the other.
Republicans aimed to present their budget resolution, essential for implementing President Trump’s ambitious agenda. Meanwhile, Democrats were geared up to publicly challenge Mr. Trump’s proposals and lay the groundwork for holding Republicans accountable in the 2026 congressional elections.
“This is going to be a lengthy and drawn-out battle,” stated Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader from New York, as members from his party queued to propose amendments aimed at countering Mr. Trump’s fiscal strategies. “Democrats will occupy the floor throughout the day and night to reveal how Republicans plan to provide tax breaks to billionaires while cutting vital programs that Americans care about.”
The passage of the budget resolution was a pivotal step towards implementing Mr. Trump’s financial strategy, which has faced challenges due to differing opinions among House and Senate Republicans regarding the best path to achieve the president’s goals.
“Our constituents are relying on us,” asserted Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and Budget Committee chairman, just before the series of votes commenced. “They expect this Republican majority to supply the president with the resources needed to fulfill his promises, and we are committed to delivering.”
“Even if it’s 5 o’clock in the morning — I’m prepared for however long it takes,” Mr. Graham proclaimed. As it turned out, it took nearly exactly that long.
The final vote count at 4:47 a.m. stood at 52-48, with all Democrats and one Republican, Rand Paul of Kentucky, opposing the resolution.
For Democrats, lacking the votes to halt the Republican budget, the vote-a-rama served as a platform to slow its progress, question GOP priorities, and when feasible, compel Republicans into uncomfortable votes intended to create a record they could use against them in the upcoming midterm elections. Senate rules permit members to propose an unlimited number of budget amendments, allowing voting to persist until Democrats eventually lost momentum and agreed to conclude the debate.
Their initial strategy to challenge GOP senators involved a proposal to prevent tax cuts for anyone earning more than $1 billion annually, underscoring Democrats’ contention that Republicans aim to reduce funding for everyday Americans to benefit billionaires with tax breaks.
“I pose a question to my Republican colleagues: Yes or no? Should billionaires receive another tax reduction or not?” Mr. Schumer stated while introducing the proposal. It failed almost entirely along partisan lines, shaping the night as Democrats were not expected to achieve any substantial alterations to the budget outline.
As the evening progressed, Democrats put forth similar proposals to safeguard food pricing and Medicaid funding.
Although most votes transpired along party lines, a few Republicans diverged from their party to support Democratic initiatives.
Throughout the night, two Republican senators defied party allegiance on several occasions. Senator Susan Collins of Maine endorsed two Democratic proposals aimed at halting tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, while she and Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri backed a measure that aimed to safeguard Medicaid funding for maternal health care. Mr. Hawley further supported an amendment aimed at diminishing the influence of hedge funds within the single-family housing market.
Despite their defiance, the amendments did not pass. Nonetheless, the votes from Ms. Collins and Mr. Hawley might provide them with political cover in the future, allowing them to showcase independence from party expectations when deemed advantageous.