In a significant move, Senate Republicans are modifying a proposed $9.4 billion package of spending cuts initiated by President Donald Trump, as they race against a looming deadline set for Friday. Following a crucial lunch meeting on Tuesday with White House budget director Russell Vought, the Senate GOP reached a consensus to eliminate approximately $400 million in cuts to PEPFAR, the landmark foreign aid program established during the Bush administration aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. This program has been instrumental in saving millions of lives worldwide.
The decision to preserve PEPFAR funding was made to secure the simple majority necessary for the passage of the rescissions package through the Senate, especially after several Republican senators expressed their opposition to the initial cuts. Vought informed reporters, “There’s a substitute amendment that I think has a good chance of passing. PEPFAR will not be impacted by the rescissions.”
Senate Republican leaders are optimistic about holding a crucial vote on the measure Tuesday evening. This would initiate a period of debate and an open amendment process. However, it remains uncertain whether the bill has the requisite 51 votes to pass in the Senate, where the GOP holds a majority with 53 seats. The Republicans aim to push the legislation through a rarely utilized filibuster-proof process, which grants Congress 45 days from the time of the White House request to deliver the bill to the president.
Given the impending deadline of Friday, the Senate's amendment to the bill will necessitate a second vote in the GOP-controlled House before President Trump can sign it into law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., noted the strong interest among senators regarding the PEPFAR modifications, stating, “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.”
The majority of cuts within the package target foreign aid, which has raised some eyebrows. Notably, the proposal also includes a $1.1 billion reduction from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funding for PBS and NPR. This aspect has drawn criticism from some Republicans who argue that rural constituents rely heavily on these stations for essential services, including emergency alerts.
In response to concerns raised by Senator Mike Rounds, R-S.D., regarding rural broadcasting, an agreement was reached with the White House. This agreement allows for the reprogramming of funds to benefit 28 stations across the country that operate on Native American reservations. Rounds expressed his support for the legislation as a result of this agreement, stating, “This is a direct agreement with OMB that they would transfer the funds over to the Department of the Interior.”
The White House has stated that it will resume spending the funds if the Senate fails to deliver the package to President Trump by the 45-day deadline. Vought emphasized the importance of this timeline, saying, “We have to remove our hold on the money. So we will not implement the cuts if this vote doesn’t go our way.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vocally opposed the proposed cuts. He cautioned that rescinding spending programs approved through bipartisan agreements could complicate efforts to secure the 60 votes necessary for funding deals in the upcoming fall session. Schumer remarked, “We are doing everything we can to keep the bipartisan appropriations process going forward.”
