The U.S. Senate on Thursday began a debate on a Republican bill to advance President Donald Trump's priorities on immigration, energy and defense, even after he urged them to scrap that effort in favor of a House bill that would also include trillions of dollars in tax cuts.

Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump are hurtling toward a collision over tax reform, exposing a growing ideological rift over healthcare spending that could threaten the president’s legislative agenda in its entirety.