(Adnkronos) – The Senate in the United States has approved, with 51 votes in favor and 48 against, the $9 billion cut package in funding, previously approved, for foreign aid and public broadcasters. The measure proposed by the White House now returns to the House of Representatives for final approval, which must take place by tomorrow’s deadline set by the budget rules.
The approval came at two o’clock this morning (local time) after further debate on the 12+ hour vote that began yesterday afternoon, with the dissent of the two GOP senators, Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, and Lisa Murkowski, who denounced the negative precedent that challenges the authority of Congress. And the discontent of some other Republican senators, some of whom voted no only on procedural matters, others convinced only after the White House gave the green light to an amendment to cancel $400 million in cuts to the Pepfar initiative for the global fight against AIDS introduced by George W. Bush.
About eight billion dollars are cut from foreign aid programs, as part of the White House’s effort to dismantle the International Development Agency, and 1.1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Development, which provides funds for NPR and PBS.
None of the numerous amendments presented by the Democrats to contain the cuts were approved. The House of Representatives had already approved the measure in June, but due to the changes made in the Senate, it is now called to a new vote.
The ‘rescission bill’ is one of the aggressive steps taken by the White House to take away Congress’s power to control federal spending. The last precedent for a rare measure of this kind dates back to 1999, President Bill Clinton. The act is considered only symbolic: the cut in public spending foreseen by the ‘big beautiful bill’ that it brings is infinitesimal.
