The Senate passed a 2018 budget resolution late Thursday that will serve as the vehicle for comprehensive tax reform, the Republican Party’s top legislative goal.
The measure passed 51-49, setting the stage for what will likely be a GOP-only push for tax reform in the coming weeks. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone “no” GOP vote against the budget, and announced his opposition earlier in the week to protest $43 billion added to an overseas war fund.
But other Republicans cheered the result and said it lets them move quickly toward a tax bill.
“Now’s when the real work begins,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn, a top Budget Committee member. “This is like giving us the green light to start.”
The House passed its own budget resolution earlier this month and will begin finalizing tax legislation next week.
Senate Republican leaders said they don’t know yet whether the House will simply endorse the Senate budget bill or if the two chambers will come up with a compromise on the budget blueprints.
But the main reason for the budget is to set up an easier path for passing tax reform. For that reason, Senate GOP leaders said they hope the House simply endorses their budget blueprint to speed things along.
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Senate Republicans pass budget measure, paving the way for tax reform https://t.co/kwCtxmRD7R pic.twitter.com/bK2FnzJZXT
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 20, 2017
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