The final vote came after a rare overnight work session for the Senate that started Thursday evening and stretched into the early hours of the next day, wrapping up close to 5 am ET on Friday after lasting just short of ten hours. The final tally was 52 to 48, with GOP Sen. Rand Paul joining Democrats to oppose the resolution.
During the late-night session known as a “vote-a-rama,” Democrats attempted to force tough votes for Republicans over a slate of contentious issues, including the war in Ukraine, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and protecting Medicare and Medicaid from cuts as Republicans seek to enact Trump’s legislative priorities.
The budget resolution is a non-binding blueprint that does not carry the force of law. But the framework needs to be adopted first before Senate Republicans can pass legislation on a party-line vote without the support of Democrats through a process known as reconciliation. Republicans are planning to use that mechanism to pass what they hope will be Trump’s signature legislative achievements.
Trump has endorsed a competing plan from House Republicans that is more expansive, but that didn’t stop Senate Republicans from forging ahead, a sign of the challenges congressional Republicans face as they navigate narrow majorities and divergent strategies.
The House and Senate will need to reconcile their different approaches to find a path forward. But even if agreement is reached over the budget blueprint, the process of drafting the text of actual legislation is likely to be contentious and involve painstaking negotiations that could stretch over months, potentially opening up divides within the GOP in the process.
Senate Republicans have put forward a budget resolution that would bolster funding for immigration enforcement, national security, and energy production. In contrast, House Republicans have a more far-reaching plan that would allow them to address tax policy, a critical issue that Senate Republicans want to take up later as part of a second legislative package.
House Republicans, with a razor-thin majority, want to address all of the party’s major priorities in a single bill in a bid to get everything done at once. Senate Republicans, on the other hand, want the party to score an early win on issues important to voters, like the border, before moving on to address tax policy, a thorny issue that may take longer – and prove more challenging – for the party to thread the needle.
Trump called on both chambers to pass the House plan on Wednesday, saying on Truth Social that it implements “my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” But the president weighed in with praise for Senate Republicans as the marathon vote session got underway Thursday evening. “Thank you to Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda,” the president said on Truth Social. “Your work on funding this effort is greatly appreciated!”
Democrats force votes on Ukraine, DOGE and protecting Medicaid and Medicare
Senate Democrats, locked out of power in Washington and limited in their ability to counter the GOP agenda, used the “vote-a-rama” to force tough votes in a bid to put Republicans on record over contentious issues.
Democrats attempted to paint Republicans as the party of the wealthy during the lengthy marathon vote session – and at times were able to peel off some GOP votes.
GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine backed an amendment blocking tax cuts for billionaires while food prices remain high, and GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted with Democrats for a measure meant to lower housing costs by easing hedge funds out of buying up single-family homes. However, neither amendment received enough support to be adopted.
Senate Democrats also called up an amendment aimed at supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. The amendment did not get any GOP support, however, and the vote failed. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker argued that the budget resolution was “not the right fit” for the issue.
“There is no greater supporter of Ukraine in this Senate than I am, but this is not the right fit,” the Mississippi Republican said. Wicker added, “There is a place to talk about Ukraine. It’s not this place.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons called up an amendment aimed at prohibiting DOGE from accessing or misusing private data and information, which was rejected by voice vote.
The first Republican-offered amendment of the marathon late-night vote session came from GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska in a bid to show party support for Medicare and Medicaid.
It was adopted 51-49, with most GOP senators voting in support, except for Sens. John Curtis and Mike Lee voting with Democrats against it. Democrats argued the amendment would not protect people on Medicare and Medicaid.
The GOP effort to show support for Medicare and Medicaid in the Senate is notable as some House Republicans have raised concerns about the future of Medicaid in particular as the House prepares to move ahead with its budget blueprint, which is different from the Senate plan.
Reading, snacks and virtual tours: How senators passed the time between votes
Senators found a variety of ways to stay entertained while the chamber stayed in session overnight.
As the Senate kicked off its late-night votes on Thursday evening, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis grabbed a large bowl of popcorn and walked into the Republican cloakroom.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin took time between presiding over the floor and casting votes to give a virtual tour of the Capitol to his followers on X, posting dispatches from the Capitol’s rotunda and crypt throughout the night.
“As you heard: we’re doing vote-a-rama in the Senate. I don’t mind fighting, but for what? The liberals KNOW they won’t win,” he captioned one video of the rotunda. “Anyway, here’s another mini tour.”
Mullin is also the current occupant of the Senate candy desk – whichever senator is assigned the desk is tasked with keeping it stocked full of treats for their colleagues. However, he noted that he’s getting “a little blowback” for the green, St. Patrick’s Day-themed candy he provided.
“I think I’m going to have to pivot to Easter,” he joked.
Other senators spent time chatting with their colleagues or sitting at their desks on the floor, swiping on their phones, going through amendments, and reading.
CNN’s Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
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