The United States Senate has approved a comprehensive spending cuts package that reduces Washington’s foreign aid expenditures by approximately $8bn as part of President Donald Trump’s commitment to significantly reduce federal spending.
The package passed by a narrow 51-48 margin early Thursday, canceling $9bn in previously approved congressional spending, including over $1bn eliminated from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Two of the Senate’s 53 Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the legislation.
The vote served as a measure of senators’ willingness to approve spending cuts recommended by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump, who has prioritized federal spending reduction as a domestic goal, established the department and initially appointed billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk to identify government cost-cutting opportunities before the SpaceX and Tesla CEO departed in May. A public dispute between Musk and Trump over deficit spending emerged shortly afterwards.
The majority of the $8bn in foreign aid cuts under the “rescissions” package, which now returns to the House of Representatives for final approval, had been designated for the now-shuttered US Agency for International Development (USAID), a primary DOGE target. The agency, established during the Cold War to manage aid programs and project US soft power globally, closed this month following the Trump administration’s January announcement of USAID’s termination.
The eliminated funding included $4.15bn allocated to boost economies and strengthen democratic institutions in developing countries, according to The Associated Press. The package also canceled $800m for emergency shelter, water, sanitation and family reunification programs for displaced populations, plus $496m for food, water and healthcare in countries affected by natural disasters or conflicts.
A senior US official announced Wednesday that nearly 500 tonnes of high-energy biscuits intended to feed 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan would soon be incinerated due to the Trump administration’s USAID shutdown decision.
Democrats contended that weakening foreign aid efforts would diminish America’s global standing and create opportunities for rivals like China to fill the void. Senator Brian Schatz emphasized that cutting food aid and disease prevention measures had life-and-death consequences, stating, “People are dying right now, not in spite of us but because of us.”
However, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, while describing himself as a “big fan” of foreign aid and its soft power benefits, argued that money was being wasted on “a bunch of junk and liberal programmes disconnected from the purpose of the aid package.”
Republican leaders removed a $400m cut to an HIV prevention program from the package following requests from their own lawmakers. The program is credited with saving millions of lives.
The public broadcasting cuts, which Republicans have criticized for alleged left-wing bias, also faced strong opposition. Democrats argued these cuts would eliminate essential public services, particularly vital during emergencies like natural disasters. The package cancels $1.1bn designated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over two years, funding that supports National Public Radio (NPR), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and over 1,500 local radio and television stations.
Democrats characterized the rescissions package as ineffective for meaningfully addressing the deficit, noting that cutting $9bn from a $6.8 trillion federal budget would harm important public institutions without a significant fiscal impact. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker described it as “yet another example of the spirit and ideals of our constitution being undermined in a terrible way.”
Some Republicans, including former Senate leader Mitch McConnell, expressed concerns about transferring congressional spending powers to the president, worrying about giving the White House a “blank cheque” on spending issues. Despite these reservations, McConnell ultimately voted to approve the package.
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