Senate Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution plan early this morning. The budget vastly expands the social safety net; improves healthcare, education and worker rights; includes measures to combat the climate catastrophe; and increases taxes on the rich and corporations. The budget passed 50-49 after a 14-hour “vote-a-rama,” in which any senator can propose amendments. This came less than 24 hours after a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill was approved 69-30 in the Senate. President Biden celebrated the passage of that bill, calling it “transformational.”
President Joe Biden: “A historic investment in the nation’s roads and highways, bridges and transit, in our drinking water systems, in broadband, clean energy, environmental cleanup, and making infrastructure more resilient and the climate crisis much more in our minds as how do we deal with it.”
Progressives have said they will not vote in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill before the House approves the $3.5 trillion budget. Once the larger budget package is hammered out, Democrats hope to pass it using reconciliation, allowing them to bypass Republican support.