Democrats pinch Republicans on affordability with Senate 'vote-a-rama'

Democrats are turning a fight over immigration funding into a chance to needle Republicans on the cost of living, making "affordability" their narrow focus as the Senate begins its fifth "vote-a-rama" of President Donald Trump's second term.

Senate Democrats are powerless to stop Republicans from advancing roughly $70 billion in funding for immigration enforcement, part of a two-step plan to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. But the convoluted rules of budget reconciliation, the party-line process Republicans are using to bypass the filibuster, are giving Democrats a rare chance to hold an unlimited number of votes, and they are promising to gum up the floor for hours with amendments focused on the rising cost of healthcare, electricity, and more.