The Senate passed a Trump-backed budget deal cut between the White House and Democratic congressional leaders Thursday. The budget will raise spending by $324 billion and would also suspend the debt ceiling until July 2021, eliminating the prospect of an ugly battle before the 2020 election.
The measure would permit the government to resume borrowing to pay all its bills and would set an overall $1.37 trillion limit on agency budgets approved by Congress annually. It also would remove the prospect of a government shutdown in October and automatic spending cuts.
The bill passed on a bipartisan basis with 67 yeas to 28 nays, including Louisiana junior senator John Kennedy. After voting against the bill Kennedy sent out an immediate statement saying: “The United States is already $22 trillion in debt, and that number keeps climbing every second,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I could not in good conscience vote to support this irresponsible spending habit.”
Last week, the House passed the two-year spending and debt limit deal 284 to 149, with 219 Democrats voting in favor and 16 voting against. Sixty-five Republicans supported the measure. However, some fiscal hawks in the Republican Party opposed the bill.