WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate approved a Republican budget blueprint early on Saturday that aims to extend trillions of dollars worth of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts and sharply reduce government spending.
The 51-48 vote, following a late-night legislative session, unlocks a maneuver called budget reconciliation that will allow Republicans to bypass the Senate's filibuster - a rule that imposes a 60-vote threshold on most legislation - and pass Trump's tax, border security and military priorities later this year without Democratic votes.
"Tonight, the Senate took one small step toward reconciliation and one giant leap toward making the tax cuts permanent, securing the border, providing much-needed help for the military and finally cutting wasteful Washington spending," Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said.
Two Republicans - Senators Susan Collins and Rand Paul - joined Democrats in opposing the measure.
The Senate's action sent the measure on to the Republican-led House of Representatives, which is expected to take it up next week.
Non-partisan analysts say the Trump agenda, if enacted, would add about $5.7 trillion to the federal government's debt over the next decade. Senate Republicans contend the cost is $1.5 trillion, saying that the effects of extending existing tax policy that was scheduled to expire at the end of this year should not be counted in the measure's cost.
The measure also aims to raise the federal government's debt ceiling by $5 trillion, a move Congress has to make by summer or risk defaulting on $36.6 trillion in debt. It aims to partly offset the deficit-raising costs of tax cuts by cutting spending. Democrats have warned that Republican targets would imperil the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income Americans.
Republicans warned that allowing the 2017 tax cuts to expire would hit Americans hard, imposing a 22% tax hike on the average taxpayer. The cuts, Trump's signature legislative achievement of his first term, reduced the top corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%, a move that is not set to expire.
The remainder of the cuts, for individual Americans, were set to expire, a decision made to limit the 2017 bill's deficit-raising effects.
"Donald Trump has betrayed the American people. Tonight, Senate Republicans joined him in that betrayal. In voting for this bill, Senate Republicans sided with billionaires against the middle class, in total obeisance to Donald Trump," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said after the vote.
BRUTAL SELL-OFF
Hanging over the debate, which began late on Thursday, was a brutal stock market sell-off following Trump's sweeping new trade tariffs, which economists warned will drive up prices and could trigger a recession.
Some Republicans said economic uncertainty could slow the path forward for Trump's agenda if market weakness continues.
"My concern is, if we are having the kind of conversation today three weeks from now, then the distraction will be so great that it will slow down what we try to do," Republican Senator Thom Tillis told reporters.
During a six-hour "vote-a-rama" session to consider amendments, Senate Republicans altered the blueprint to add a deficit-neutral reserve fund to help protect Medicaid and the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly.
Republicans also turned away dozens of Democratic amendments aimed at rescinding Trump trade tariffs and protecting Medicaid, Medicare, nutrition support for low-income women and children, the Social Security retirement system, veterans benefits and other government assistance.
Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley and Collins backed Democratic measures to safeguard social safety-net programs, but their support was not enough.
If House Republicans get their way, Congress could enact $2 trillion in spending cuts by overhauling Medicaid and food assistance programs and by eliminating popular environmental policies.
The budget blueprint would also make room for tighter security measures along the U.S. border with Mexico, fund administration efforts to significantly ramp up immigrant deportations and bolster U.S. military readiness.
(Reporting by David Morgan, Richard Cowan and Bo Erickson; Editing by Scott Malone, Rosalba O'Brien, Aidan Lewis)
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