Senate rejects a budget waiver for the amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for child care
On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Alsobrooks Amdt. No. 5294)
APR 22, 2026 · 11:58 PM ET
Party-line vote, except 1 Republican who crossed. 13 votes short of the 60 needed.
What the Senate was voting on
The Senate voted on whether to set aside budget rules that could apply to S.Amdt. 5294, an amendment to S.Con.Res. 33. The amendment would let budget levels accommodate qualifying child-care funding proposals without increasing deficits; the concurrent resolution establishes the federal budget framework for FY2026 and budgetary levels through FY2035. The motion failed, with supporters 13 votes short of the 60 needed.
Set aside the budget rules that could apply to S.Amdt. 5294.
Keep the budget rules in place; do not waive them for S.Amdt. 5294.
Allows the Senate Budget chair to adjust budget levels for legislation increasing child-care funding, including proposals for free or affordable care or a 7% family-income cap, if it does not increase deficits from 2026 through 2035.
Agreed to by both chambers on April 29, 2026. Concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.
- VP
- The Vice President can break ties on simple-majority votes, not on 60-vote ones.
60 is three-fifths of the 100 senators sworn in. Waiving a Budget Act limit takes three-fifths of sworn senators, not of those voting.
- VP
- The Vice President can break ties on simple-majority votes, not on 60-vote ones.
Party line, with 1 Republican crossing1 Republican crossed. It wasn’t enough.
Every vote on S.Con.Res. 33, in both chambersFailed in the Senate. Passed the House.
CHAMBER CONTRASTThe Senate rejected it 47–51 on April 22, 13 short of the 60 needed, with 1 Republican voting yes. The House agreed to it 215–211 on April 29.
- APR 21Discharged from committeeDISCHARGED
- APR 21#87Motion to proceedAGREED TO52–46
- APR 22#95THIS VOTEBudget waiver for the amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for child careFAILED47–5113 votes short of the 60 needed.
- APR 23#105On adoptionPASSED50–48
