Senate Republicans Prepare to Advance Trump’s Rescue Package

Senate Republicans seem poised to approve the rescue package put forward by President Donald Trump, having decided to drop the proposed cuts to the HIV/AIDS relief program established during George W. Bush’s presidency.

On Tuesday, both Senate Republicans and White House officials, including budget director Russ Vought, announced the removal of a $400 million cut from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) within Trump’s larger $9.4 billion retirement package. This issue had become a significant sticking point as GOP leadership aimed to expedite Senate fundraising requests before the July 18 deadline.

Senator Susan Collins from Maine, who is known for her moderate stance, expressed her satisfaction with the decision to protect funding for HIV/AIDS relief. However, she noted that other aspects of the resignation request remain “disputed.”

Initially, Senate Majority Leader John Toon backed the draft proposal. But it appears he’s now shifted away from needing 51 votes to move the rescue package through the Senate. Generally, most legislation requires 60 votes to pass, but rescue requests are eligible for approval with just a simple majority.

Vought informed reporters that the White House would endorse a streamlined version of the retirement package, which is still set to impose $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation and consider nearly $8 billion in foreign aid for public broadcasting, impacting both NPR and PBS.

During a June budget hearing, the previous OMB Director defended the merits of a complete rescue request. Vought stated, “There are alternative modifications that don’t involve cutting PEPFAR, but that’s fine. It’s essentially the same package, and the Senate has to do its will. We appreciated the efforts to gather the votes.”

Senator John Thune criticized the Democrats for opposing the modest cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that the retirement package threatens “lifesaving services.”

Thune remarked on the Senate floor that “this bill, which raises such alarm among Democrats, will only cut one percent of the federal budget, or even less.” He added that serious spending issues persist in the country.

The Senate is set to proceed with a series of procedural votes on Tuesday evening, paving the way for the earlier passage of a smaller rescue package. The House will need to review and approve the President’s funding request again if the PEPFAR amendment is adopted.