Senate eyes possibility of vote-a-rama on budget resolution

No budget.  No debt limit.  Still fighting over nominee appointments.  Democrats in disarray.  And Republicans held hostage by a few Senators.

With just a little bit of luck, the dunderbutts in Congress will trip a default on the Federal debt.  Maybe we could write off about $20 trillion while the neoliberals dig themselves out of the rubble.  It would be wonderful to see.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T

The Senate this week may move ahead with its budget resolution to enact part of President Trump’s legislative agenda, an effort that would include an hours-long vote-a-rama — which Democrats could use to protest the measure and stall its passage.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has not indicated if he plans to bring the resolution to the floor, but the upper chamber’s schedule says “Additional votes are possible Tuesday evening in relation to a motion” to move to the budget resolution.

Also this week, the Senate will consider more of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including his pick for FBI director, Kash Patel, who has emerged as one of his more controversial selections.

The House is out of session this week.

Senate eyes potential vote-a-rama for Trump agenda measure

It remains unclear if the Senate will barrel ahead with a vote on its budget resolution for Trump’s agenda this week, but the possibility is plausible.

Last week, the Senate Budget Committee advanced its budget resolution on a party-line 11-10 vote, teeing it up for consideration in the whole chamber. The measure would provide $175 billion for the border and $150 billion for defense.

Shortly after the Senate cleared its measure, the House followed suit, advancing its own budget resolution that outlined a $1.5 trillion floor for spending cuts across committees with a target of $2 trillion, a $4.5 trillion cap on the deficit impact of the Republicans’ plan to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, $300 billion in additional spending for the border and defense and a $4 trillion increase of the debt limit.

Senate and House Republicans have been in a race to see who can finalize their budget resolutions first, which utilize contrasting strategies. The Senate is moving on a two-track timeline, with the first measure addressing border and defense and the second extending the 2017 tax cuts, and the House trying to cram all the priorities into a single bill.

With the House struggling to coalesce around their resolution, Senate Republicans may want to get ahead of the other chamber this week by voting on the measure on the floor. Doing so, however, would require a days-long process.

First, the Senate would have up to 50 hours to debate the legislation. Then, the chamber would have what is referred to as a “vote-a-rama,” allowing senators to vote on an unlimited number of amendments — a procedure that drags on for hours and includes dozens of votes.

In August 2022, when Democrats were considering their massive climate, tax and health bill, the chamber voted on nearly 40 amendments.

Senate to consider more Trump Cabinet nominations

The Senate will continue consideration of a number of Trump’s Cabinet nominees this week, including Kash Patel to be FBI director — one of the more controversial picks to come before the upper chamber.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Patel’s nomination in a party-line 12-10 vote last week, sending his selection to the full chamber for consideration. On Tuesday, the chamber will hold its first procedural vote to begin the process of consideration.

Patel, who held a number of national security roles during the first Trump administration, has drawn scrutiny for attacks on the “deep state,” claims of a weaponized government, and vows to clear out the FBI headquarters on his first day in office — matters he was pressed on during his confirmation hearing.

Last week, shortly before the committee vote, the controversy surrounding Patel’s nomination increased after Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate “highly credible information” that Patel was already directing a “purge” of the FBI prior to his investigation. The department has already fired a number of individuals who were on former special counsel Jack Smith’s team.

Durbin claimed that the information he gathered contradicted Patel’s statements at his confirmation hearing, when he said he was “not aware” of any plans or discussions to punish FBI agents or personnel connected to the investigations into Trump.

It does not appear that the revelations have moved any Republican senators — at least not publicly. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote on X: “Another day another attack against Kash Patel by the Democrats These latest allegations r nothing more than hearsay & dont hold a candle to Patel’s character+ credibility which over half a million law enforcement officers hv vouched for.”

Aside from Patel, the Senate is set to vote on Howard Lutnick’s nomination to be secretary of Commerce, and consider former Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s (R-Ga.) nomination to be administrator of the Small Business Administration.

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing for former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination to be secretary of Labor, who has come under fire among some Republicans for her pro-labor stance. And on Thursday, the panel will hold a vote on advancing Linda McMahon’s nomination to be secretary of Education.