On Wednesday, Republicans in the Senate rejected Democratic efforts to reduce the $9 billion budget clawback plan that the chamber is anticipated to approve following a “vote-a-rama” amendment frenzy.
The proposal by President Trump to cut $8.3 billion in foreign aid and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting is being contested by Democrats. Public broadcasting that promotes public safety and worldwide disaster aid were first targeted in their Wednesday attempts, but were unsuccessful.
A 50-49 vote was used to defeat Sen. Chris Coons’ (D-Del.) amendment that would have kept $496 million in foreign disaster aid that Trump wants Congress to cut from the rescissions package.
Among the Republican senators who voted in support of the amendment were Maine’s Susan Collins, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell. Prior to Friday night’s deadline, these Republicans voted against discussing the package and criticized the White House for withholding account-by-account totals of what will be eliminated if legislators approve the deal.
International relief efforts accomplish more than “save lives in countries around the world,” as Coons put it. “It improves our position, deepens our bond with our friends, and gives us an edge over China.”
One of the Senate Republicans spearheading the drive to approve the package, Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, made the case that “many foreign governments and U.N. agencies have become reliant on U.S. emergency funding, using it to avoid investing in their own disaster preparedness.”
Additionally, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) effort to rescind the measure and prohibit cuts to public broadcasting that would impact public safety initiatives, such as the job of law enforcement and first responders, was rejected by the Senate by a vote of 51 to 48.
