Senate Takes Up A Budget Plan Crafted By Republicans To Advance Trump's Agenda

The Senate dived into contentious debate Friday on a budget plan critical to Republican efforts to pass trillions of dollars in tax cuts and boost border security and defense spending through what President Donald Trump calls "one big beautiful bill."

Passage of the plan would give Republicans the chance in coming months to muscle a tax cut bill through both chambers of Congress even if Democrats are unanimously opposed, just as they did in Trump's first term.

Democrats are intent on making the effort as politically painful as possible, beginning with all-night votes on dozens of proposals that GOP senators will have to defend before next year's mid-term elections, including on Trump's tariff policies and the administration's efforts to shrink the federal government.

Republicans are framing their work as preventing a tax increase for most American families. Unless Congress acts, the individual and estate tax cuts that Republicans passed in 2017 will expire at the end of this year.

"Republicans believe fundamentally that Americans know best what to do with their money," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.