Senate Republicans pushed through President Trump’s $9 billion clawback package early Thursday, cutting foreign aid and public broadcasting funds despite Democratic objections. The bill slashes nearly $8 billion from USAID and over $1 billion from NPR and PBS, targeting what Republicans call "woke" and wasteful spending.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised the effort, calling it a step toward “fiscal sanity,” with support from Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Only two Republicans joined Democrats in voting no, as the bill passed without Vice President JD Vance needing to break a tie.
Democrats warned the cuts could hurt emergency alert systems and isolate rural communities by gutting public broadcasting. The bill now heads to the House, where Republican leaders have already warned against any changes.