Senate Deadlocks on Trump-Era Spending Cuts as Midnight Deadline Looms

A razor-thin vote late Tuesday saw the Senate advance debate on a package of funding cuts totaling $9.4 billion, a request from the Trump administration. The proposed cuts target $1.1 billion previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds NPR and PBS, alongside $7.9 billion earmarked for international efforts to combat famine and disease.

The measure narrowly passed after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote, following a deadlock caused by Republican Senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins, who joined all Democrats in opposition. This Senate action follows last month’s approval of the president’s request by the House.

However, the Senate Appropriations Committee removed the U.S. AIDS relief program, PEPFAR, from the cuts package, according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Despite this, cuts to CPB remain on the table. Negotiations on Tuesday led to a plan to continue direct funding for 28 public radio stations serving Native American communities, with funds redirected from a Department of Interior program. Senator Mike Rounds, R-S.D., confirmed this, thanking OMB Director Russ Vought for the resolution, stating these stations are crucial for emergency services in rural areas.

Native Public Radio President and CEO Loris Taylor expressed concerns, calling the compromise ‘structurally impractical’ and questioning the feasibility of redirecting ‘Green New Deal’ funds for media services. Congress faces a midnight Friday deadline to approve the rescission package; if passed by the Senate, it will return to the House for a final vote due to changes from the original House version.

Concerns about the cuts’ impact, particularly on local public media, have been voiced by several Republican senators, including Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, who, despite criticizing NPR’s perceived bias, advocated for continued support for local stations. Trump recently threatened to withhold endorsements for any Republican opposing the package, specifically urging the defunding of CPB. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged the Senate to pass the House’s version ‘as is.’ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the proposed cuts, emphasizing public broadcasting’s role in providing critical weather alerts and emergency services.

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