Senate Moves Towards Cancelling Foreign Aid Funds
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate is edging closer to eliminating previously approved funding for various foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, following discussions among GOP leaders to address several concerns.
Senators Susan Collins from Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, alongside all Democrats, expressed opposition to the procedural vote. Nevertheless, nearly all Republicans voted to initiate debate on the bill.
The vote was narrow at 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote after President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts gained traction.
Trump aims to rescind $1.1 billion allocated for corporations while also excluding $8.3 billion from multiple foreign aid sources meant for public broadcasting, which lawmakers had previously approved for the next two fiscal years.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting plays a key role in financing national public radio, public broadcasting services, and local media across the nation.
Senate Majority Leader John Tune noted that the discussions emerged from the need to address spending cuts linked to the president’s emergency plan for AIDS relief.
“There’s significant interest among members in addressing the Pepfar issue, and that’s reflected in the alternative,” Tune remarked. “I hope that, even after we finish in the Senate, the House will accept a minor amendment.”
Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota, who had concerns about the cuts, announced that a deal was struck with the White House just hours before the vote regarding funding for rural broadcasters run by tribal communities.
“Our goal was to ensure tribal broadcast services in South Dakota can continue to deliver emergency alerts,” Rounds shared on social media. “We worked with the Trump administration to find funds within the Green New Deal to keep grants for tribal radio stations uninterrupted.”
In a brief interview, Rounds mentioned that they plan to transfer $9.4 million to support 28 Native American radio stations in nine states.
“I was especially worried about the potential impact on communities with limited resources and how rural radio stations would be affected,” Rounds added. “I just wanted to address it, and we managed to do that.”
White House Budget Director Russ Vought expressed a desire not to overreach during the debate after meeting with Republican senators but confirmed that his office is collaborating with them to keep certain local broadcasters operational.
Collins Seeks More Clarity
Senate Spending Chair Susan Collins shared her reservations regarding some rescues. During a hearing in June, she mentioned that safeguarding Pepfar’s full funding is a sign of “progress.”
However, just hours before the vote, Collins indicated she wanted additional clarity from the White House Budget Office about the sources of the remaining $9 billion in proposed cuts.
“One of the concerns I raised is that we still have the $9 billion total, and I’m unsure how it’s derived based on the programs he wants to quote and maintain,” Collins said, referencing Vought. “There’s still an issue of lacking detailed accounting information from OMB.”
Collins pointed out the stark differences in how past rescissions were communicated, expressing frustration over the lack of transparency regarding program breakdowns in this instance.
The Senate’s procedural voting is set to initiate discussions for up to ten hours, followed by a prolonged amendment voting session that could potentially reshape the legislation. A final vote might come as soon as Wednesday.
Future Requests from Trump
The House has already approved this measure, which will require a final vote in the Senate, where changes are expected.
Efforts to revoke funds that Congress had previously authorized began last month when the Trump administration issued the withdrawal request.
This initiative, led by Vought, is part of a broader effort by Republicans to slash federal spending, which has totaled $6.8 trillion over past fiscal years.
Vought anticipates that lawmakers will submit more proposals in the coming months, although he hasn’t publicly outlined any timelines or methods for their execution.
Once the White House submits a withdrawal request, it allows for the legal freezing of the funds for 45 days while Congress debates the proposal.
Johnson Critiques Public Media Funding
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his expectation that the Senate will maintain the bill’s current form during a press conference.
“We have a slim margin, so we need to pass it as is,” Johnson stated. “However, we’ll address whatever they send our way promptly, and we hope that happens soon.”
Johnson pointed out that removing previously approved funds for certain foreign aid programs and public broadcasting is a relatively easy target for cuts.
He described federal funding for public media as an example of “taxpayer dollar misuse” due to what he sees as biased reporting from organizations like NPR and PBS.
“While they might have their place, the question remains if they should be taxpayer-funded,” he mused. “Trump has encouraged Republican senators to pass the bill without major amendments.”
“It’s crucial for all Republicans to support my proposal, especially regarding public broadcasting, which, in my view, is worse than CNN and MSDNC combined. Those who vote to continue funding these entities will face the consequences of their decisions!”