Nearly All Republicans Vote Against Conditioning Tax Cuts to the Wealthy

An overwhelming majority of Senate Republicans voted against Democratic-backed measures to block tax cuts for the wealthy during a series of votes on a GOP-drafted budget resolution that began Thursday evening and continued into early Friday.

Why It Matters

The Republican-controlled Senate, 53-47, voted all night on a series of amendments and proposals relating to the $340 billion budget bill. Several Democratic amendments were aimed at removing tax breaks for the wealthy.

President Donald Trump has pledged tax cuts for all Americans, while some Republican allies, including Steve Bannon, have pushed for tax increases on the wealthy. Polling indicates that the majority of Americans are in support of higher taxes on the wealthy too.

What To Know

Democrats filed dozens of amendments opposing various aspects of the draft budget, which is endorsed by Trump, including provisions related to defense and the border.

The Senate approved the budget framework early Friday morning in a 52-48 vote, with only one Republican, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, voting against the measure.

On conditioning taxes, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced an amendment that she said would "block tax cuts for billionaires while food prices keep rising." The Minnesota Senator emphasized the price of eggs and other standard groceries like meat and produce, saying, "Instead of focusing on $2 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, we should work together to lower food prices for Americans across the country."

Trump pledged to lower grocery prices on the campaign trail, campaigning heavily on the economy and its impact on everyday Americans. The consumer price index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose "6.1 percent over the last 12 months as the eggs index increased 53.0 percent," the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in February.

Republican Senator Susan Collins was the only GOP member to vote with Democrats on the measure, which failed 48-52. Collins has broken with her party several times, including voting to convict Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection during his second impeachment trial in 2021.

Another amendment, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sought to "prevent tax cuts for the wealthy if a single dollar of Medicaid funding is cut." The measure failed in a 49-51 vote, with two Republicans Senators Josh Hawley and Collins, joining Democrats in support.

Newsweek has reached out to Collins and Hawley for comment via email on Friday.

During his first term in office, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which disproportionately benefited corporations and the ultra-wealthy. The budget blueprint seeks to finance an extension of the 2017 tax cuts.

What People Are Saying

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said: "One amendment at a time, Democrats exposed Republicans' true colors here on the Senate floor. For the first time this year, Senate Republicans were forced to go on record and defend their plans to cut taxes for Donald Trump's billionaire friends."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an X post Thursday night: "Senate Republicans are focused on securing the border, rebuilding our defense, and unleashing American energy. Senate Democrats are focused on getting in the way."

Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, wrote in an X post Friday morning: "In the dead of night, Senate GOP rammed through a budget to greenlight tax cuts for billionaires. Worse yet, they want to pay for these ultra-wealthy handouts by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that middle-class Americans depend on. This is who Republicans are."

Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said on the Senate floor Thursday: "If Elon Musk and DOGE are finding all this waste/fraud and want to reduce the deficit, why are Senate Republicans passing budget today that increases spending by $340 billion?"

Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso said in an X post on Friday morning: "By passing the budget resolution, Republicans took an important step towards securing the border, promoting peace through strength, and unleashing American energy."

What Happens Next

The budget resolution, which serves as a blueprint for federal spending and revenue, will now be considered by the House of Representatives before moving to the reconciliation process.