The Senate’s Late-Night Budget Blitz: A $9 Billion Cut to Federal Spending
In a dramatic late-night session, the Republican-controlled Senate narrowly passed a sweeping rescission bill, championed by former President Trump, that aims to slash nearly $9 billion from federal spending. This includes the complete defunding of public broadcasting giants PBS and NPR, alongside significant reductions in foreign aid. The measure squeaked through with a tense 51–48 vote, leaving little room for celebration—or dissent.
The passage was marked by a vote-a-rama, a process that seems as chaotic as it sounds. Only two GOP senators, Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), voted with Democrats in a last-ditch effort to halt what they described as an assault on fiscal responsibility.
Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) was notably absent, her staff noting that she was in the hospital “out of an abundance of caution.” One can only imagine the irony of a Senate vote on fiscal sanity occurring without a key participant champing at the bit to defend public broadcasting.
Vice President JD Vance, who has played an essential role in breaking tie votes during committee discussions, was not required to intervene this time. Majority Leader Senator John Thune took the opportunity to commend the administration’s efforts in identifying “wasteful spending.” His words echoed through the chamber, “It’s time for the Senate to cut some of that waste out of the budget. It’s a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should agree is long overdue.”
Next Steps: The House Awaits
Having made minor amendments to the bill, the Senate has now sent it back to the House for final approval. Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to fast-track the vote, ensuring that this legislation moves swiftly towards President Trump’s desk, where it is anticipated he will sign it into law by Friday. This would mark yet another blow to what Trump supporters deem the “radical globalist agenda” that has supposedly siphoned taxpayer dollars for far too long.
BREAKING: The Senate votes to pass President Trump’s historic plan to Defund PBS and NPR!
The rescission package will go back to the House for a final vote. pic.twitter.com/9EbEeC2DGn
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) July 17, 2025
A Closer Look at the Cuts
According to Fox59, Senators Collins and Murkowski, alongside their Democratic colleagues, expressed concerns regarding the ramifications of the cuts to public broadcasting. Murkowski articulated these concerns on the Senate floor, arguing that local stations are vital for community safety, stating, “It is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.” A rather poetic way to highlight the essential services that may be stripped away in the name of budgetary discipline.
The legislation also proposes cuts amounting to approximately $8 billion in foreign aid. This includes a staggering $800 million reduction from programs providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and family reunification for those fleeing perilous situations. Additionally, $496 million earmarked for food, water, and healthcare support in disaster-stricken areas will be withdrawn, alongside a $4.15 billion cut designed to bolster economies and democratic institutions in developing nations. One must ponder, in the quest for fiscal sanity, at what cost does the Senate deem these cuts acceptable?
