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President Donald Trump’s clawback of billions in funding for international assist and public broadcasting narrowly handed by means of its first hurdle within the Senate, nevertheless it nonetheless faces a rocky street forward with dissent among the many Senate GOP ranks.
Senate GOP leaders hoped that an settlement to carve out $400 million in international HIV and AIDS prevention funding will get a few of the holdouts on board. Nonetheless, doing so shrank the anticipated cuts from $9.4 billion to $9 billion.
However a trio of Senate Republicans joined with all Senate Democrats to vote in opposition to advancing the invoice from the Senate Appropriations Committee, which required Vice President JD Vance to solid the deciding vote.
Trump’s rescissions bundle would yank financial institution congressionally permitted funding for international assist applications and public broadcasting. However some Senate Republicans have sounded the alarm and wish adjustments made to the invoice earlier than it reaches the end line.
SENATE GOP BRACES FOR TEST VOTE ON TRUMP’S $9.4B CLAWBACK PACKAGE
President Donald Trump provides a thumbs as much as reporters as he walks on the South Garden upon arriving on the White Home on July 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
The invoice that superior out of committee Tuesday contains simply shy of $8 billion in cuts from the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID), and over $1 billion from the Company for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the government-backed funding arm for NPR and PBS.
Republicans’ profitable check vote comes after huddling with Workplace of Administration and Finances Director Russ Vought, who labored to shore up assist and apply stress from the White Home to get the ball rolling on the invoice.
“We’re tremendous with changes,” Vought stated. “That is nonetheless a fantastic bundle, $9 billion, [it’s] considerably the identical bundle, and the Senate has to work its will.”
‘GUT CHECK TIME’: DISSENT AMONG SENATE GOP RANKS THREATENS TO REDUCE TRUMP’S SPENDING CUT DEMAND
Senate Majority Chief John Thune. (Getty)
Whereas issues had been nonetheless raised about different facets of the spending cuts bundle throughout the closed-door assembly, Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., believed that carving out the cuts to Bush-era President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Aid (PEPFAR) helped ease issues amongst lawmakers.
However the adjustments did not sway all Senate Republicans. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, bluntly stated “no” when requested if the PEPFAR carveout helped acquire her assist and argued, “I would love to do some legislating.”
“What a loopy factor, what a loopy factor,” she stated. “What have we been doing round right here? We did a reconciliation invoice. We’re doing a rescissions invoice. We’re doing nominations. Nominations are essential, however let’s, like, legislate.”
And Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, stated she favored the adjustments however finally determined to vote in opposition to advancing the invoice by means of its first hurdle. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., additionally joined in to vote in opposition to the invoice.
TRUMP’S PLAN TO SLASH ‘WOKE’ FOREIGN AID, NPR FUNDS CLEARS HOUSE AS SENATE BATTLE LOOMS
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, speaks to members of the media following the Senate Republican coverage luncheon on the US Capitol in Washington on June 4, 2025. (Getty Pictures)
It now strikes to yet one more procedural vote, which, if profitable, will open up 10 hours of complete debate time on the invoice and finally set the stage for a vote-a-rama, the place lawmakers on both aspect of the aisle can provide a limiteless variety of amendments to the bundle.
However, Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made clear that he would favor the Senate not make any adjustments to the invoice.
Nonetheless, that request already fell on deaf ears — because it did throughout the price range reconciliation course of that unfolded within the higher chamber final month.
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These calls for have already got fiscal hawks within the Home grumbling, however just like the price range reconciliation course of earlier than it, an amended rescissions bundle will probably glide by means of the Home GOP and onto Trump’s desk.
