Senate Republicans Advance Border Security and Defense Package as "Plan B" for Trump’s Agenda
Washington, D.C. – Senate Republicans have passed a framework for a border security and defense spending package, which is expected to serve as a backup plan for the narrowly-divided Congress in advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The framework passed around 5:00 a.m. with 52-48 support, mostly along party lines. Only GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted with Democrats against it, citing increased federal spending.
The framework would allow Congress to spend around $340 billion, including $175 billion for border security and $150 billion for defense. If House Republicans adopt the same plan, it would initiate the first phase of passing Trump’s priorities, with a separate tax bill to come later.
However, this blueprint is likely to become a backup plan for the House version, which is significantly larger and would include Trump’s sweeping tax proposals. This larger package would likely necessitate significant cuts to Medicaid and food programs for low-income Americans.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who spearheaded the proposal as chair of the Budget Committee, expressed optimism that the House could pass a more comprehensive bill that fully meets Trump’s goals. "If you can pass the one big, beautiful bill that makes the tax cuts permanent, not four or five years, then we’ll all cheer over here," Graham said.
Democrats Leverage Procedural Tactics
As the minority party in both houses of Congress, Democrats have limited power to derail Trump’s agenda. However, they utilized their influence on Thursday night by forcing Republican colleagues to vote on amendments designed to put them in uncomfortable positions with voters.
Among the defeated amendments were those requiring insurers to cover in vitro fertilization, barring the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Americans’ private information, re-hiring employees fired from federal agencies, and supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russia.
However, some Republican support emerged for amendments barring tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy if there are Medicaid cuts, protecting funding for school lunches and breakfasts, and showing support for Medicare and Medicaid.
Senate’s Approach Differs from House’s
For weeks, the House and Senate have debated opposing strategies for advancing Trump’s agenda. The Senate’s version would break the agenda into two pieces for the sake of speed, while the House’s version would package it into one massive bill.
The House version, which was advanced in committee last week, would implement around $4.5 trillion in tax cuts offset by $2 trillion in spending reductions, including cuts to health care and food aid for low-income Americans. The package would raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion over two years and add trillions to the federal deficit over 10 years.
Trump’s Preference for House Version
On Wednesday, as GOP senators prepared to meet with Vice President JD Vance to discuss the path forward for Trump’s agenda, the president made it clear which side he supports. He called on both chambers to pass the House version, stating that it implements his "FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!"
This prompted grumbling from GOP senators who questioned why they were advancing a plan that Trump had not championed. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) confirmed that Trump had expressed his preference for the House version.
Conclusion
The Senate’s border security and defense package, while not Trump’s preferred option, is likely to become a backup plan for the House version, which faces potential obstacles due to its larger size and controversial spending cuts. As Congress continues to debate Trump’s agenda, Democrats will continue to use procedural tactics to shape the debate and highlight areas of vulnerability for their Republican counterparts.
