Senate Ends “Vote-A-Rama” Session By Passing Resolution To Start Work On “Human Infrastructure” Bill
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats have approved a three-and-a-half-trillion-dollar budget resolution.
The early morning vote was 50-49, with no Republicans supporting the measure. The resolution now goes to the Democrat-controlled House, where lawmakers are expected to consider it when they return on August 23rd.
The budget resolution would allow Democrats to pass legislation on a party-line vote to address issues like health care and climate change.
Headline items in the bill include subsidizing child care, expanding caregiving, and providing free community college and pre-kindergarten. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says it’ll also do more to fight climate change.
The resolution allows Congress to begin crafting the bill. A final vote isn’t expected until fall.
Republicans have denounced the resolution as a spending spree for liberals. Though every Democrat voted to move forward with crafting the bill, not every Democrat is on board with the premise of it as it stands now.
Moderate Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has already said that she does not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion, though she has signaled she is willing to negotiate.
Democrats will also be subject to constraints on what they can include under the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to pass the bill with a simple majority in all phases of the voting process and to not adhere to a 60 vote threshold to open and close debate under the Senate filibuster.
Schumer has pushed back against GOP criticism of the high price tag of the package, saying on Monday, “We plan to pay for this package by making the wealthy pay their fair share.”
“The Democratic budget will be the most significant legislation for American families since the era of the New Deal and the Great Society. It is big, bold change. The kind of change America thirsts for,” he said.
Schumer argued that the core of Democrats’ sweeping plan is “restoring the middle class in the 21st century and giving more Americans the opportunity to get there.”
