After nearly six hours of amendment votes, the Senate narrowly approved a Republican-backed budget blueprint early Saturday morning in a 51–48 vote, moving the legislative process forward on several major GOP priorities.

Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine broke ranks to vote against the resolution, while all other Republicans voted in favor. Every Senate Democrat opposed the measure.

The resolution, which required only a simple majority to pass, now heads to the House for further consideration. If approved there, it would trigger the next phase of the budget reconciliation process—allowing House and Senate committees to begin drafting legislation on key Republican initiatives, including raising the debt ceiling, expanding border security, and extending the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts.

House GOP leaders are urging support for the Senate-passed measure, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other top Republicans announcing plans to bring it to the House floor for a vote next week. In a “Dear Colleague” letter obtained by ABC News, they framed the resolution as a gateway to fulfilling former President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

“Adopting the Senate’s amendment to the House resolution will allow us to finally begin the most important phase of this process: drafting the reconciliation bill that will deliver on President Trump’s agenda and our promises to the American people,” the letter stated.

However, the bill’s path forward remains uncertain. The House must first pass a procedural “rule” to move the legislation forward—a task complicated by internal divisions, including an ongoing dispute over parental proxy voting rules.

With a razor-thin majority, Speaker Johnson can afford to lose only three Republican votes if all members are present. A fourth defection would block the resolution from advancing.

Several GOP lawmakers have already voiced strong opposition. House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) criticized the Senate bill as “unserious” and “disappointing,” while Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) vowed to vote no, calling the plan “a path to failure.”

Despite the dissent, Republican leadership remains hopeful the measure will clear the House and allow the party to press ahead with a reconciliation package aimed at cementing Trump’s second-term priorities.