On Tuesday (July 15), Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie in the Senate with a key vote, allowing the Trump administration’s $9 billion spending cut bill to pass the procedural threshold. The bill aims to rescind previously approved federal expenditures and is a streamlined version of Trump’s original $94 billion budget rescission proposal. If ultimately passed, it would be one of the largest bills of its kind in American history.
The bill has now completed the procedural vote and is set for a final vote on Wednesday (July 16). According to the procedure, the Senate will engage in a 10-hour debate and address several potentially controversial amendments, expected to enter into a “vote-a-rama.”
As the Senate version differs from the one previously passed by the House of Representatives, the bill will need to be sent back to the House for another vote after passage and then sent to President Trump for signing to take effect.
Under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Congress must vote on the President’s rescission proposal within 45 days. With the procedural vote passing just three days before the deadline, if not concluded within the timeframe, the President will not be able to reintroduce the same spending cuts.
This means Trump must sign the bill by Friday (July 18) for it to become law.
Trump initially sought to rescind $94 billion in federal funding through the bill, but after negotiations in the Senate, cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) were removed and the amount reduced to $9 billion. This move increased the bill’s chances of passing as the PEPFAR program has enjoyed bipartisan support since the Bush administration and is credited with saving millions of lives.
The retained cuts include $7.9 billion from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), including funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Despite majority Republican support for the bill, three Republican senators stood with Democrats in opposing advancing the bill to the Senate debate stage. These senators are Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Collins criticized the White House for failing to provide specific details on the bill’s cuts, stating, “It’s not that we didn’t have time to review, it’s that the budget office never provided the necessary contents.”
Murkowski opposed the White House’s directive-driven approach, emphasizing, “We are legislators, not simply executing orders.”
McConnell indicated his support for spending cuts but rejected the White House’s “blank check” approach.
However, Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri defended the bill, stating, “For the sake of restructuring the American economy, this bill is a long but necessary start to reforms.”
In a bid to secure internal support, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought attended a lunch meeting with Republican senators on Tuesday, answering about 20 questions on site to convince remaining skeptical legislators.
South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds, who initially had reservations about the bill, announced his support after coordination, stating he had worked with the White House to reallocate part of the Green New Deal budget to ensure uninterrupted broadcasting services for South Dakota’s Native American population.
Meanwhile, President Trump also publicly addressed his party on social media, emphasizing that any Republicans supporting public broadcasting funding would lose his support and endorsement.
The Democrats strongly oppose the bill, arguing that Republicans first pass budgets and then cut unsupported items, effectively undermining the entire allocation mechanism.
Independent Senator Angus King of Maine criticized, “This is tantamount to shredding the budget process. The Appropriations Committee, and indeed, the entire Senate, have become rubber stamps of the executive branch.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that this move would impact local public broadcasting services, leaving tens of millions of Americans unable to access timely news, disaster alerts, and educational programs.