Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) warned on Wednesday, July 29th, 2026, that he does not currently see enough Republican support—specifically 50 votes—to advance a budget resolution in the Senate. This comes after former President Donald Trump renewed his call for the Senate to act on a House-approved budget framework intended to fund the war in Iran and potentially raise the national debt limit.

Thune stated, “We’ll have a more fulsome conversation about that later,” signaling ongoing discussions but acknowledging the present lack of consensus.

If passed, the budget resolution would enable Republicans to use the reconciliation process to pass an emergency spending package without facing a Democratic filibuster. The proposed package includes $73 billion to support the Iran war effort, $12 billion for farmers, and $10 billion in incentives for states to reform election procedures.

Trump urged Senate Republicans on Tuesday to pass the House budget framework before the five-week August recess. He posted on Truth Social that Senator Ron Johnson, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, is working with Senate Republican leadership to adopt the resolution before the recess. Trump described this as the first step toward incorporating as much of the SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible into a budget bill to fund troops and assist farmers.

However, Thune noted that including a debt limit increase in a budget reconciliation package would complicate its passage, as fiscal conservatives in both chambers would demand significant spending cuts to offset any borrowing authority increase.

Sources