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By Barney Henderson
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The Senate has approved a Trump administration request to cut $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding in a victory for the president.
The vote, early Thursday morning, was passed 51 to 48 following 12 hours of amendment votes, despite two Republicans objecting to the surrender of congressional control over federal funding.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the move targeted wasteful spending, stating it was a "small but important step for fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue."
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Thune added: "What we are talking about is one-tenth of one percent of all federal spending … but it's a step in the right direction and it's the first time we have done anything like this in 35 years."
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Some Republican senators voted for the bill but raised objections. Sen. Thom Tillis pointed out that details had not been provided on which aid programs would be affected.
"If we find out that some of these programs that we've communicated should be out of bounds—that advisers to the president decide they are going to cut anyway, then there will be a reckoning for that," he said.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins said the bill "has a big problem—nobody really knows what program reductions are in it."
Concerns Over Cuts to Public Broadcasting
Collins and fellow Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, joined Democrats in voting against the legislation.
They raised concerns over cuts to public broadcasting, warning the move could cripple vital emergency communication networks in rural areas.
Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Murkowski defended funding for public stations, saying, "This is not just your news. It is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert."
Less than 24 hours later, a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Alaska's remote peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings across local public radio and television stations. Emergency alerts instructed residents to seek higher ground immediately—demonstrating the critical role these outlets play in public safety.
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The situation is "a reminder that when we hear people rant about how public broadcasting is nothing more than this radical, liberal effort to pollute people's minds, I think they need to look at what some of the basic services are to communities," Murkowski said on Thursday evening.
The legislation under consideration would rescind nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—the full amount allocated for the next two fiscal years.
Foreign Aid Faces $8 Billion in Cuts as Critics Warn of Global Fallout
The package of cuts includes a rollback of approximately $8 billion in foreign aid—drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats who warn the cuts could have deadly consequences and undermine U.S. global influence.
Among the targeted programs are $800 million for emergency shelter, clean water, sanitation, and family reunification services for displaced populations, and nearly $500 million earmarked for food, water, and medical assistance in regions ravaged by conflict or natural disasters. The bill also slashes $4.15 billion from initiatives designed to strengthen economies and support democratic institutions in developing nations.
Democrats say the move not only jeopardizes lives but also risks ceding diplomatic ground to geopolitical rivals like China.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said: "People are dying right now, not in spite of us but because of us," Schatz said. "We are causing death."
The legislation now returns to the House, which must vote on it by Friday.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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