Senate approves FY2018 budget resolution

The Senate approved the FY2018 budget resolution by a 51-49 vote Thursday night. Such an approval sets up a widely expected tax reform bill over the next few months.In order to pass such a tax bill, both chambers of Congress will need to agree on a joint budget resolution for the 2018 fiscal year. A House GOP source told The Hill that the procedural language in the Senate resolution “seems sufficient to avoid a conference committee between the two chambers, and allow the House to simply pass the Senate resolution.” Budget resolutions are nonbinding and don’t require the president’s signature. They are separate from the spending bills that actually fund the government. However, such a resolution, agreed to by both chambers, is necessary in allowing the Senate to pass a tax bill with just 51 votes instead of the 60 often needed for major legislation due to a special Senatorial procedure known as reconciliation. Such a procedure would also disallow a filibuster. The then-Senate-approved bill would move to a House vote, which contains a larger Republican majority. If passed, it would then require President Trump’s signature before becoming law.  Read more