The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Senate trying to advance Trump’s agenda

House Budget Committee approved a measure allowing Republicans to use reconciliation to pass tax cuts and spending reductions. The bill passed on a party-line vote – 21-16. The vote was a crucial step for Republicans to eventually pass their legislative proposal. But the measure still must clear the full House and the Senate.

This is where the House and Senate still don’t align. The House bill takes a big whack at taxes and spending. The Senate plan features a smaller scope and focuses on border security and energy production. The House bill could be a bit unwieldy for some Senate Republicans. But the Senate package may not go far enough for certain House Republicans.

So where does this leave us?

It’s a fiscal Rubik’s Cube. And it’s far from certain Republicans can align all the colors on each face to complete the cube. Republicans could be forced to compromise. That’s always a dirty word in Congress. But it may be a necessary evil.

Republicans must have a fiscal plan. That’s why the House and Senate are embroiled in this budget reconciliation fight. They must have a budget in place to later use reconciliation to pass the measures they want. That’s a prerequisite for the filibuster-busting maneuver. And Republicans can’t simply do this on a whim. They must approve the same budget measure in both chambers.

The Senate began its vote-a-rama Wednesday night. There will be marathon sessions through Friday. It’s possible the Senate could approve its budget framework by the weekend. That would set the stage for the House to follow suit next week.

But even if Republicans can align the colors on the fiscal Rubik’s Cube, there’s still a long road ahead. They must eventually craft substantive legislation. That’s where the real work begins.

It’s a treacherous path. But it’s one Republicans must navigate if they want to accomplish President Trump’s core agenda. The fate of tax cuts and spending reductions hangs in the balance. And the next few weeks will determine if Republicans can thread the needle – or if they will come up short.