Vice President JD Vance Tuesday cast two tie-breaking votes in the U.S. Senate to advance a $9.4 billion rescissions package, a White House initiative to claw back previously approved federal funding. The package, which narrowly passed the House in a 214-212 vote in June 2025, includes $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), effectively defunding public media outlets like PBS and NPR for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, alongside $8.3 billion in reductions to foreign aid programs, such as USAID.
The Senate votes, both 51-50, were necessary to overcome procedural hurdles: one to discharge the bill from the Senate Appropriations Committee and another to begin debate on the Senate floor. Three Republican senators—Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)—joined all Democrats in opposing the measure, necessitating Vance’s intervention.
The Trump administration, backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pushed the package as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to curb what they call “wasteful spending.”
The Trump administration, backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pushed the package as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to curb what they call “wasteful spending.”
Can you imagine how cool this has to be for JD Vance to break a 50-50 tie.
— GaltiFACT® (@reardongalt) July 16, 2025
Think about the times your heart was broken because your team lost by 1 (run, point, goal, field goal) in the final second of the game.
And JD gets to do it over and over again.pic.twitter.com/D5ZeLNBlL0
They accused PBS and NPR of promoting “radical, woke propaganda” and argued that public media funding is outdated. President Trump pressured Republicans, threatening to withhold endorsements from those opposing the cuts, emphasizing the defunding of CPB as a priority.
The package requires Senate approval by July 18, 2025, under a 45-day congressional deadline triggered by the White House’s June request. If the Senate amends the bill, it must return to the House for another vote.
Opposition came from Democrats and some Republicans. Collins criticized the lack of transparency on specific cuts and warned that defunding CPB could harm rural and tribal stations, which rely on federal funds (about 15% of PBS’s budget and 1% of NPR’s, though up to 8% for some local stations).
Murkowski suggested addressing perceived NPR bias without gutting CPB, while Sen. Mike Rounds (South Dakota) secured assurances to redirect funds to tribal radio stations, swaying his support. Democrats, like Sen. Chuck Schumer, argued the cuts prioritize tax breaks for the wealthy over essential services, noting public media’s role in emergency alerts and local programming in underserved areas.