Senate Republicans got over the first procedural hurdle Thursday on their revised budget resolution needed to move forward with a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill. But it wasn’t a sure thing going in, raising questions about the simple majority needed for final adoption sometime this weekend.
The 52-48 vote on the motion to proceed to the budget blueprint started the clock on up to 50 hours of debate — though likely less given Republicans are expected to yield back time — before the chamber turns to the “vote-a-rama” likely to start Friday evening.
There were minimal GOP defections on the procedural vote: just Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the motion. Still, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had to hold a separate confirmation vote open for nearly two hours to try to wrangle the needed simple majority on the motion to proceed to the budget.
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