Senate Passes $9 Billion Spending Cuts in Win for Trump, Over GOP Dissent

In a narrow 51-48 vote early Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved a $9 billion federal spending rescission package, marking a major victory for President Donald Trump’s campaign to reduce government spending. The legislation includes significant cuts to foreign aid and eliminates federal subsidies for National Public Radio and PBS.

Two Republicans, Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted against the measure, joining Democrats in expressing concern about the bill’s lack of detail and potential harm to essential services. To help secure support, the Senate version reinstated $400 million in AIDS relief for Africa that had been cut in the earlier $9.4 billion House version.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune hailed the vote as a necessary move toward restoring fiscal discipline. “It’s a small but important step toward fiscal sanity,” he said, pointing to persistent federal deficits of nearly $2 trillion per year. He credited the Trump administration with identifying wasteful programs in need of cutting.

Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she supports the idea of rescinding unnecessary spending but criticized the Office of Management and Budget for providing vague details. Murkowski echoed that sentiment and warned that Congress should not simply serve as a rubber stamp for the Trump administration.

Both senators also opposed cuts to public broadcasting, which they said could harm rural communities. Murkowski pointed to tsunami warnings in Alaska as proof of how vital local public radio is for emergency communication. Although their amendments to preserve funding failed, the debate highlighted growing GOP divisions over how to approach fiscal reform.