Senate Advances Trump-Era Spending Cuts Bill

The Senate cleared two procedural hurdles to advance a GOP effort to codify Department of Government Efficiency spending cuts, with Vice President JD Vance casting tie-breaking votes. The package, which claws back $9 billion in federal funds, must pass the Senate and House by Friday. Three GOP senators, Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, and Lisa Murkowski, joined Democrats in voting against advancing the package, citing concerns over global health initiatives and public broadcasting cuts. The Senate is set to debate the bill and proceed to a marathon voting session on amendments before a final vote, which is expected to pass with Vance's tie-breaking vote.

Vice President JD Vance cast two tie-breaking votes to advance a $9.4 billion rescissions package in the Senate, which includes defunding PBS and NPR. The package, requested by the White House, cuts $8.3 billion from USAID and $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Senate will now debate the bill for 10 hours before voting on amendments and a final measure. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, opposed the bill, citing a lack of transparency on which programs would be affected by the cuts.

The Senate voted 51-50 to advance legislation to rescind $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funds, a move sought by President Trump. The bill, which could be approved as early as Wednesday, targets $8 billion in foreign assistance programs and $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. Some Republicans, including Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell, opposed the measure, citing concerns over relinquishing Congress's constitutional power over federal spending. Senate Republicans ultimately agreed to strip a $400 million cut to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to win support from holdouts.