Vice President J.D. Vance cast two critical tie-breaking votes this week to push forward a sweeping $9.4 billion rescissions package in the U.S. Senate. The package includes major cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid, sparking sharp debate across party lines.
The Senate was deadlocked 50-50 on two procedural motions to begin debate on the legislation, requiring Vice President Vance’s votes to move the bill forward. The proposal, previously passed by the House, was introduced at the request of the White House as part of a broader effort to reduce federal spending.
Among the most controversial provisions is a plan to eliminate $1.1 billion in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports PBS and NPR. The bill also rescinds $8.3 billion earmarked for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), drawing concern from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.Three Republican senators — Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Susan Collins (Maine) — joined Democrats in voting against the measure.
“The rescissions package has a big problem — nobody really knows what program reductions are in it,” said Sen. Collins, citing a lack of clarity from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about which specific programs would be cut. “That’s not because we haven’t had time to review the bill. It’s because OMB hasn’t provided the necessary details.”
Collins also objected to the scale of proposed cuts to development assistance programs, which fund essential services like education, clean water, and food security in developing countries.
