Kennedy Votes Against Budget, Debt Deal As It Clears Senate & Heads To Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on legislation dealing with the federal budget and the government's borrowing limit (all times local):

U.S. Senator John Kennedy announced today that he voted against the budget, debt deal.

“The United States is already $22 trillion in debt, and that number keeps climbing every second,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I could not in good conscious vote to support this irresponsible spending habit.”

12:13 p.m.

A bipartisan budget and debt deal has passed the Senate and is heading to the White House for President Donald Trump's signature.

Thursday's vote addresses a worrisome set of Washington deadlines as Trump's allies and adversaries set aside ideology in exchange for relative fiscal peace and stability.

The measure would permit the government to resume borrowing to pay all its bills and would set an overall $1.37 trillion limit on agency budgets approved by Congress annually. It also would remove the prospect of a government shutdown in October and automatic spending cuts.

But a tea party senator, Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, says the legislation really is a spectacular failure because it will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the country's spiraling debt.

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9:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump and his Senate GOP allies are relying on lots of Democratic votes to propel a hard-won budget and debt deal to the finish line.

Passage of the measure Thursday would mark a drama-free solution to a worrisome set of Washington deadlines. It also would that Trump's allies and adversaries were able to set aside ideology in exchange for relative fiscal peace and stability.

The Senate vote expected later Thursday would send the legislation to Trump for his promised signature.

The measure would permit the government to resume borrowing to pay all its obligations and sets an overall $1.37 trillion limit on agency budgets approved by Congress every year.

It would remove any prospect of a government shutdown in October or the return of automatic spending cuts.