Senate Takes the Lead as Budget Reconciliation Discussions Continue
Published February 10, 2025
By AACOM Government Relations
Advocacy
Federal Policy
Higher Education
OME Advocate
- After the House Budget Committee delayed the reconciliation mark up, the Senate unveiled its version of a reconciliation package on Friday. Budget reconciliation is a fast-track budgetary tool that can be used to advance the party’s priorities with a simple majority vote in each chamber.
- The Senate Budget resolution would provide $175 billion for border security, $150 billion for the Pentagon, $17 billion for the Coast Guard and ensure energy production. This two-bill approach would separate tax policy into a second reconciliation package to be completed later this year.
- Senate Budget Panel Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) indicated the Senate Budget Committee would meet later this week to mark up the reconciliation resolution and the authorizing committees would have until March 7 to add their pieces to the package.
- The House had preferred to pass one bill that includes tax and other major priorities, but a narrow majority requires party cohesion for the Republicans to advance the reconciliation process. Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) ambitious timeline to bring that package to the President’s desk by May is uncertain.
- AACOM opposes inclusion of any harmful higher education provisions in reconciliation and will advocate for the interests of the OME community during the process.
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