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Senate Republicans Pass $9 Billion Spending Cut Bill

Early Thursday, Senate Republicans approved a package that rescinds approximately $9 billion in federal spending, targeting reductions in foreign aid, public broadcasting, and NPR. The House of Representatives now has until Friday to approve the measure and send it to the President for signature.

Opposition came from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), who joined all 46 Democrats present to oppose the bill. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) was absent due to hospitalization for an undisclosed health issue.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) described the bill as a modest step, stating, “What we are talking about is one-tenth of one percent of all federal spending … but it’s a step in the right direction and it’s the first time we have done anything like this in 35 years.”

The legislation cuts about $8 billion previously allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds PBS and NPR. Rescission bills, which revoke previously authorized funding, are rarely introduced and have not passed the Senate in over two decades.

The bill also included modifications to safeguard maternal health and food aid funding, with concessions made to preserve some rural public news station funding. Collins acknowledged the importance of reducing wasteful spending but criticized the process for lacking transparency, noting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had not provided detailed information.

Rescission measures do not require 60 votes in the Senate, which has a Republican majority. Democratic leaders have expressed concerns about the process, warning of potential government shutdowns in September if negotiations fail. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Republican process for bypassing bipartisan norms.

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