Senate Republicans brace for intra-party fight over foreign aid cuts
Why it matters: Thune can only afford to lose three GOP votes.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) set off a back-and-forth among senators on Wednesday after mentioning her concerns during a closed-door lunch.
She emphasized the issues she had with cuts to global health programs, three sources familiar tell Axios.
Collins also argued that the process for finding savings is supposed to be in the annual appropriations process, which she oversees as committee chair.
Between the lines: Leadership is already planning to work around Collins. A senator is expected to make a motion to discharge the bill from the Appropriations Committee to bring it to the floor.
Zoom in: Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) was among those who highlighted concerns, as well as Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
Sens. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) defended the package, the sources said.
The idea was raised of bringing in Trump's budget chief, Russ Vought, to answer questions from senators.
The bottom line: "A lot of questions are being asked, and they're appropriate questions. Russ Vought can answer them," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters.
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