Jul 15, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Senate takes step forward on foreign aid, public broadcasting clawback

Stef W. Kight

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol — Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Senate Republicans narrowly won a vote Tuesday night to advance a measure to take back $9 billion in federal spending — including funds marked for PBS, NPR and foreign aid.

Why it matters: It is an early procedural vote, but the 51-50 tally is a life-saving sign for the White House and GOP leadership, who are hoping to clinch the support needed to pass the bill by the Friday deadline.

Vice President Vance served as the tie-breaker on the vote to move the rescissions package out of the Appropriations Committee and to the floor.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted against moving to the bill, along with every Democrat.
Funding for PEPFAR — a global health program to prevent HIV and AIDS — will be preserved in the final bill, after some Republicans raised concerns about the cuts.

Zoom in: The bill, as currently written, would claw back roughly $9 billion worth of already-appropriated funds, including monies for global health programs, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio.

Collins has continued to demand more detailed explanations for why the White House requested the cuts it did.
She once again raised her concerns during a closed-door lunch on Tuesday, going back and forth with Trump budget chief Russ Vought, who attended.

What to watch: The Senate quickly moved into another procedural vote Tuesday night, which will then kick off up to 10 hours of debate, followed by an unlimited series of amendment votes.

This will be the Senate's fourth vote-a-rama this year — matching the record set in 1995.
The Senate will then vote on final passage, potentially on Thursday, depending on how long the vote-a-rama drags on.
That would leave the House little time to take a final vote on the measure in time for Trump to sign it into law by the Friday deadline.

Go deeper: Trump's proposed public broadcasting cuts build on decades of GOP threats

Add Axios on Google

Senate takes step forward on foreign aid, public broadcasting clawback

What to read next