Senators on both sides of the aisle voted Tuesday to proceed with their first package of fiscal 2026 spending bills, even as Democrats continue their hand-wringing over the future of the appropriations process.
The Senate advanced the House-passed Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bill on a procedural motion, 90-8. Republican leaders plan to use it as a shell for their own version of the bill and the Agriculture and Legislative Branch spending bills.
Several Democrats and Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) voted “no.” A final Senate vote on the three-bill package is expected later this week or next week.
“We’re trying to give [Democrats] what they’ve been asking for, is a bipartisan appropriations process, which frankly I think a lot of us around here think is long overdue,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
