The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to approve President Donald Trump’s $9 billion rescission package, following a series of eleventh-hour amendments aimed at securing just enough Republican support to get the measure across the finish line.
The bill, which passed the House last month, allows the Trump administration to cancel funding for dozens of previously approved programs, including large portions of foreign aid and all federal support for PBS and NPR. Originally proposed as a $9.4 billion clawback, Senate Republicans stripped $400 million in cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in an amendment finalized earlier Tuesday, preserving funding for the Bush-era HIV/AIDS program after pushback from several GOP holdouts. The final vote on the bill was 51 to 48.
With the PEPFAR change and separate assurances of new targeted funding for tribal radio, Republicans were able to win over Senator Mike Rounds (R-ND), one of the final undecided votes. Still, two other Republicans—Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)—joined all Democrats in voting no.
The bill now heads back to the House for a vote on the Senate-amended version ahead of Friday night’s deadline. Under federal law, rescission requests must be approved by both chambers within 45 days of the president’s formal submission.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the package remains “substantially the same,” and he confirmed the administration plans to send more rescission proposals if this one succeeds.
While the White House argues the clawbacks eliminate “woke” or wasteful spending, critics warn it sets a dangerous precedent, giving the executive branch more power to reverse bipartisan spending agreements after they’ve been signed into law. The March budget bill that originally authorized the now-targeted funds passed the Senate with over 60 votes, requiring Democratic support. But rescissions only need 51. This marks the first time a recission package was passed along party lines.
Lawmakers are already bracing for a contentious fiscal fight in September, when funding for the next fiscal year must be passed to avoid a government shutdown. Democrats say tonight’s vote further erodes trust and could make future bipartisan deals harder to strike.
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