The Senate approved the Republican-backed budget Thursday night, a major step forward for the GOP effort to enact tax cuts.
The budget’s passage will allow the GOP to use a procedural maneuver to pass tax legislation through the Senate with 50 or more votes, removing the need for support from Democratic senators.
“Tonight, we completed the first step toward replacing our broken tax code . . . We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to replace a failing tax code that holds Americans back with one that actually works for them,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said following the 51-49 vote.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who believes the budget ought to reduce the deficit, was the only Republican to vote against it.
The budget opens the door to expanding the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
(c) 2017, The Washington Post · Elise Viebeck
{Matzav.com}
