GOP senators pass budget framework during overnight session

Republicans passed the $340 billion package early Friday after hours of debate. Democrats brought up most of the debated amendments trying to halt the bill’s passage. But Republicans eventually pushed it through in a vote that fell largely along party lines, 52-48. Every Democratic senator and one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, voted against it.

The framework addresses only part of the funding needed for President Trump’s agenda. It focuses on immigration, setting aside $175 billion for border security along with hefty boosts for the Pentagon and Coast Guard. Senate Republicans will address other Trump priorities, like tax breaks, in another bill.

But no money will be disbursed just yet. The budget framework is just one step in the process. It instructs Senate committees to determine the finer details of this fiscal year’s spending.

Why did Sen. Paul vote against the budget framework? He proposed an amendment that would’ve required the budget to reduce overall spending by $1.5 trillion. In a social media post urging the adoption of his amendment, he said that voters wanted fiscal responsibility. However, most Republicans joined Democrats to shoot down the amendment.

What about the House budget bill? Trump said on Wednesday he preferred the House’s approach, an all-in-one bill that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and reduces funding for a wide range of government programs. But that bill may face more opposition from Democrats than the Senate’s two-part plan.