On July 17, 2025, the Senate passed a $9 billion rescissions package, advancing President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts with a 51-48 vote, bolstered by Vice President JD Vance’s tiebreaking votes on procedural hurdles. The bill, targeting foreign aid and public broadcasting funds, including $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (NPR and PBS), now heads to the House for final approval by July 18. Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader John Thune, hailed the cuts as a step toward fiscal restraint, sparing the PEPFAR AIDS program after GOP objections. Vance defended the package, arguing it eliminates “ideologically slanted” programs, aligning with Trump’s agenda to reduce the deficit.
Democrats, unified in opposition, slammed the cuts as undermining vital services, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling them a “short-circuiting” of bipartisan appropriations. Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and initially Mitch McConnell opposed the procedural votes, citing transparency issues, but McConnell supported the final bill. Democrats’ attempts to amend the legislation during a 12-hour “vote-a-rama” failed, leaving them frustrated as the GOP leveraged budget reconciliation to bypass the filibuster. Critics warn the cuts could harm rural media and global health initiatives, while supporters see them as a victory for efficiency.
The package’s passage, despite centrist GOP resistance, underscores Vance’s growing influence and the Trump administration’s aggressive cost-cutting push, setting the stage for further battles over federal spending.
