The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on the comprehensive two-year budget agreement that would avoid a looming debt default and effectively remove $125 billion in fiscal 2020 and 2021 discretionary spending cuts, Politico reported Wednesday.
The $2.7 trillion measure, which passed the Democrat-led House last week, would set FY 2020 defense topline at $738 billion and the FY 2021 topline at $740.5 billion. It would also eliminate concerns of facing 10% in mandatory cuts, or $71 billion in defense cuts for the upcoming budget year starting Oct. 1, as On Base has reported.
Senate leaders have suggested for several days that they believe the spending caps and debt limit suspension bill has the bipartisan votes to pass the Senate, according to the report.
However, key Republicans have encouraged wavering colleagues to get behind the bill seeking better GOP support in the chamber than in the House where 132 Republicans voted against the bill.
“We feel confident in the end that we’ll end up passing the budget,” Majority Whip Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said. “Both sides will be delivering a significant number of votes.”
The key will be gaining 60 votes to get over the filibuster threshold.