US Senate Republicans advance Trump-backed budget plan in 52-48 vote

ISTANBUL

The US Senate voted 52-48 on Thursday to advance a multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint that supports President Donald Trump’s key policy goals, including permanent tax cuts, including for wealthy Americans, plus major increases in defense and immigration enforcement spending, and a $5 trillion debt limit hike.

All Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul backed the measure, while Democrats opposed it unanimously, NBC News reported.

The vote kicks off up to 50 hours of debate, followed by a flurry of amendment votes, it added.

"The Senate Budget plan gives us the tools that we need to get our shared priorities done, including certain PERMANENT Tax Cuts, Spending Cuts Energy, Historic Investments in Defense, Border, and much more," Trump wrote Wednesday on social media.

"We are going to cut Spending, and right-size the Budget back to where it should be. The Senate Plan has my Complete and Total Support. Likewise, the House is working along the same lines. Every Republican, House and Senate, must UNIFY. We need to pass it IMMEDIATELY!"

The plan proposes $175 billion for immigration enforcement, $150 billion in new military spending, and allows for over $1.5 trillion in additional tax cuts, and would likely balloon the federal deficit.

Republicans also aim to permanently extend Trump’s 2017 tax law, which the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimate would cost $4.6 trillion, and Democrats say heavily favors tax cuts for the rich.

Democrats are planning politically charged amendments.

"You’re going to see a whole lot of amendments going after Donald Trump and the Republicans ... where they are favoring billionaires and against families," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters, according to NBC News.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren also told reporters: "The job of the Democrats ... is to hold the Republicans’ feet to the fire ... and that is a country that works for a handful of billionaires and lets everybody else eat dirt."

If adopted by the White House, the resolution would allow Republicans to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and pass legislation along party lines.