Just hours after the Senate passed a $1T bipartisan infrastructure deal, that same Senate barely passed Democrats’ larger $3.5 trillion budget resolution early Wednesday morning. The video above shows clips from the vote, as well as the announcement of passage.
The vote was 50-49, along party lines. Sen. Mike Rounds missed the budget votes to be with his ailing wife. It came after the Senate spent much of Tuesday hearing Republican amendments intended to make Democrats pay a price in next year’s elections.
Those amendments were part of a 14-hour “vote-a-rama”. The Senate held more than 40 roll calls by the time it approved the measure at around 4 a.m. EDT. Amendment topics included school reopening, boosting the Pentagon’s budget, retaining limits on federal income tax deductions for state and local levies, President Joe Biden’s suspended ban on oil and gas leasing on federal lands and defunding the police.
House leaders announced their chamber will return from summer recess in two weeks to vote on the budget resolution.
Final congressional approval, which seems certain with a Democrat majority House, would protect the ensuing bill that would actually enact the outline from a filibuster in the Senate.
However, passing said bill is still expected to be dicey. Party moderates are wary of the massive $3.5 trillion price tag, and progressives are asking Senate leaders to do more.
Higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations would pay for much of the resolution. In addition, Democrats plan to save by letting the government negotiate prices on pharmaceutical drugs, taxing imported carbon fuels and strengthening IRS tax collections. Democrats have said their policies will be fully paid for. However, final decisions aren’t expected to be made until this fall’s follow-up bill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer assured progressives Congress will pursue sweeping initiatives going beyond the current infrastructure packages.
“To my colleagues who are concerned that this does not do enough on climate, for families, and making corporations and the rich pay their fair share: We are moving on to a second track, which will make a generational transformation in these areas,” Schumer said.
