Senate Republicans Move Closer To Finalizing $9B DOGE Cuts Ahead Of Friday Deadline

The Senate voted 51-50 on Tuesday to move forward a White House-backed $9 billion spending cut bill that would slash foreign aid and funding for the parent entity of NPR and PBS. 

The procedural vote moves the recissions package to the last debate and amendment stage before it receives a final vote. Vice President JD Vance broke the tie in the chamber after Republican Senators Mitch McConnell (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Susan Collins (ME) joined the Democrats to vote against the bill. 

The proposal will cut previously approved funding for international organizations, the Democracy Fund, migration and refugee assistance, the Clean Technology Fund, the U.S. Institute of Peace, USAID, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. The cuts were first proposed by the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency project in May. 

After meeting with Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Senate Republicans are planning to remove a provision from the House-backed version of the bill that cuts $400 million in funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

“There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue, and so that’s reflected in the substitute,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said. “And we hope that if we can get this across the finish line in the Senate, that the House would accept that one small modification that ends up making the package still about a $9 billion rescissions package. A little less than what was sent over the House, but nonetheless a significant down payment on getting rid of waste, fraud, abuse in our government.”

The White House also said Tuesday that it would not be making wide-scale cuts to global AIDS/HIV funding. 

The recissions package has until Friday to make it to President Donald Trump’s desk, or the previously approved spending will begin to be distributed. Trump has threatened not to support or endorse any senator who votes against the spending cuts. 

“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together,” he posted on Truth Social last week. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), who was initially reported to be unsupportive of the bill due to concerns that American Indian public radio stations would lose funding, stated that he had reached an agreement with the Trump administration. He voted to advance the bill on Tuesday. 

“This is a direct agreement with OMB that they would transfer the funds over to the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior has agreed to accept it and to issue the grants,” he said. “We’ve told them very clearly what we want is those resources to be made available to these Native American radio stations.”