The United States Senate was poised for a critical vote Saturday on a budget resolution tied to President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut agenda, amid internal Republican divisions and mounting economic pressures.
The resolution, seen as a gateway to making Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent and boosting funding for border security and energy projects, comes at a time when Wall Street is reeling from global market instability, partly fueled by Trump’s ongoing trade disputes. While Republican leaders pitch the proposal as a pathway to long-term savings and security, Democrats warn that it would deepen the national debt and lead to cuts in essential public services.
“The resolution is the first step toward transformational investment in our border, national, and energy security,” said Senate Republican leader John Thune, defending the plan as fiscally responsible.
However, consensus remains elusive. The Senate and House GOP remain split over the scale of spending cuts, with senators backing $4 billion in savings and House members demanding up to $1.5 trillion. Critics, including South Carolina’s Rep. Ralph Norman, say the Senate’s version won’t fly in the House. “To me, it’s dead on arrival,” Norman said.
If passed, the resolution would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, delaying another hike until after the 2026 midterms. But watchdogs like the Cato Institute have called it a “fiscal train wreck,” warning it could add over $5 trillion to the national debt in the coming decade.
The Senate spent Friday night locked in a marathon “vote-a-rama” to amend the text before a final vote expected later Saturday. If cleared, the resolution still faces hurdles in the House — and a ticking clock, with lawmakers aiming to send it to Trump before the Easter recess.
