Senate Approves Trump’s $9B Spending Cuts Package/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The U.S. Senate passed a $9 billion spending cuts package championed by President Trump, targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid. Critics warn the reductions could undermine vital global aid and local public services. The bill now heads back to the House for final approval before Friday’s deadline.
Senate Spending Cuts Quick Looks
- Senate approves $9B in cuts backed by Trump.
- Targets include public broadcasting, foreign disaster relief, food aid.
- Bill passes 51–48 after overnight debate, heads to House again.
- GOP splits emerge as Collins, Murkowski oppose cuts.
- Public broadcasters warn of severe impacts on rural services.
- Nearly $1.1B slashed from PBS, NPR funding.
- Foreign aid cuts include $4B in economic development programs.
- Trump vows more cuts through future rescissions packages.
Senate Approves Trump’s $9B Spending Cuts Package
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a late-night vote, the U.S. Senate passed a $9 billion spending cuts package driven by President Donald Trump, slicing deep into public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. The controversial measure passed 51–48 in the early hours of Thursday morning after more than 12 hours of amendment votes.
The vote fulfilled a formal rescission request from the White House and now sends the bill back to the House for final approval before a midnight Friday deadline. The legislation is a major milestone for Trump’s broader effort to reduce what he calls “wasteful” government spending — but it’s sparking alarm across party lines.
What’s in the Spending Cuts?
The bill would eliminate nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds more than 1,500 local public TV and radio stations — including PBS and NPR. Critics warn these reductions will disproportionately hurt rural communities that depend on public media for emergency alerts and educational content.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, emphasized these risks on the Senate floor, just hours before a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Alaska’s coast.
“It is your tsunami alert, your landslide alert, your volcano alert,” she said. “Cutting this isn’t just anti-media — it’s anti-safety.”
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also voted against the package, warning that no one can identify with certainty what all the reductions entail. “Nobody really knows what program reductions are in it,” Collins said.
The package also includes $8 billion in cuts to foreign aid programs. Those include:
- $800 million for emergency shelter, sanitation, and refugee reunification.
- $496 million for food and healthcare in war and disaster zones.
- $4.15 billion for programs that support developing economies and democracy.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, blasted the move, saying, “People are dying right now, not in spite of us, but because of us. We are causing death.”
Divided GOP, United Democrats
While most Republicans rallied around the measure as a “fiscal sanity” move, some in the party expressed deep concern.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., defended the legislation as “a small but important step” toward cutting wasteful spending. Meanwhile, https://www.newslooks.com/trump-denounces-epstein-demands-criticizes-his-weaklings-base/ though initially skeptical, voted yes despite calling the White House approach a “blank check.”
Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker urged caution moving forward: “Let’s not make a habit of this.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., added that GOP leaders would need at least seven Democratic votes to prevent a shutdown later this year.
“The only way to fund the government is bipartisan cooperation,” he said.
Short-Term Fixes and Long-Term Risks
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he negotiated a deal with the White House to redirect Interior Department funds to Native American public radio stations in a dozen states. But public broadcasting advocates say that’s not nearly enough.
Kate Riley, president of America’s Public Television Stations, said the Interior deal “will still result in cuts and reduced service at the stations it purports to save.”
On the foreign aid side, the Senate removed a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a globally respected HIV/AIDS program created under George W. Bush. The program has long enjoyed bipartisan support and was spared after backlash from both parties.
What’s Next?
The House previously passed an earlier version of the bill in a 214–212 party-line vote, but must vote again on the Senate-amended version. If lawmakers don’t approve the final package by Friday at midnight, the spending cuts will not take effect.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress has only days left to meet Trump’s request to cancel the $9.4 billion in already-approved spending. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration signals more rescissions are on the way.
However, the narrow Senate vote and internal GOP concerns suggest future attempts may not go as smoothly.
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