Senate Passes Trump-Backed Spending
Senate Approves $9B Spending Cuts
The Senate narrowly approved a $9 billion spending rescission package in a 51-48 vote, marking a win for President Donald Trump’s effort to trim government.
The bill cuts foreign aid and eliminates subsidies for NPR and PBS, though $400 million in AIDS funding for Africa was restored to secure support.
Supporters Call It a First Step
Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised the move:
“It’s a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue.”
Collins and Murkowski Dissent
Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposed the measure.
Collins cited a lack of transparency, criticizing the “sparse text” from the White House.
Murkowski warned Congress was “only following directives from the Trump White House rather than exercising its own authority.”
Public Broadcasting Concerns
Both senators defended funding for rural public broadcasting.
Murkowski, referencing Alaska tsunami alerts, said:
“Today of all days, we should vote down these misguided cuts to public broadcasting.”
