Senate passes budget, avoids government shutdown with cuts

• The US Senate passed a provisional budget for six months, preventing the shutdown of most federal offices.
• 54 senators voted in favor of extending the budget, including two Democrats.
• The budget provisional introduces $13 billion in expenditure cuts, affecting the IRS and the District of Columbia budget.

The United States Senate approved a six-month provisional budget on Friday. The decision came just hours before the current budget expires, avoiding a so-called "shutdown." Of the 100 senators, 54 voted to continue the current budget until the end of the fiscal year, which extends to the end of September. This included two Democrats.

The adopted budget provisional extends the provisions of last year’s budget with a few exceptions. It introduces $13 billion in expenditure cuts, which will impact areas such as the IRS and the District of Columbia's budget. Additionally, the bill includes a $6 billion increase in defense spending.

The provisional's adoption was made possible by the votes of 10 Democratic senators who did not reject it in a previous vote. The required threshold then was 60 votes, not 50, meaning that without their support, a "shutdown" would have occurred.

Initially, President Donald Trump and the Republicans aimed to adopt a new budget with trillions of dollars in spending cuts and tax reductions. However, they ultimately decided to extend last year's budget to allow more time to prepare for deeper reforms.

The main reason for Democratic opposition was the lack of specific spending instructions, potentially leading to massive layoffs and cuts to programs run by Elon Musk's DOGE team. Many lawyers argue that Musk's prior spending halts are illegal without congressional consent. Despite this, some Democrats contended that a shutdown would only facilitate radical cuts and layoffs by the Trump administration, as its officials could decide which offices and agencies would remain open. 

"For sure, the Republican bill is a terrible option," said Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer. "I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power in a government shutdown is a far worse option," he added.

Schumer's stance sparked a sharp conflict within the Democratic Party. His critics, mainly from the party's left wing, accused him of capitulation and abandoning the fight for additional social security protections against Musk's cuts. Among Schumer's critics was former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, while many other politicians called for a change in party leadership. Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, also refused to support Schumer.