Latest news with #RecissionsBill
The Hill
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
House GOP urges Senate Republicans not to change DOGE cuts bill
House Republicans are urging their Senate GOP colleagues not to make any changes to the bill to claw back billions of dollars in federal funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, as the party races a Friday deadline to send the package to President Trump's desk. The warnings come as the Senate is preparing to consider the $9.4 billion measure, known as a rescissions package, which would revoke dollars for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — which funds NPR and PBS, two organizations Republicans have deemed biased — and cut funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) went after early on. But moderate GOP senators have taken issue with some of the cuts, not only to public broadcasters who serve rural communities, but to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — leading to calls to strike some of the White House's requested cuts. If the Senate changes the bill, which it is signaling it will do, the measure would have to return to the House for a final stamp of approval before receiving Trump's signature — a ping-pong process that must take place in the next three days, or else the Trump administration will be forced to release the funds as originally appropriated. 'The Friday deadline looms. We're encouraging our Senate partners over there to get the job done and to pass it as-is,' Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a Tuesday press conference, calling defunding public broadcasters and USAID 'low-hanging fruit.' 'I've urged them, as they always do, to please keep the product unamended, because we have a narrow margin, and we've got to pass it,' Johnson said. 'But we're going to process whatever they send us, whenever they send us, and I'm hopeful that it will be soon.' Asked about what happens if the House can't meet that Friday deadline, Johnson said: 'I don't accept defeat, so we'll see what happens.' Rank-and-file Republicans are making the same plea. 'I think all of us in the House would love to see them pass what we did,' Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) said. 'It's an easy list. I don't understand the opposition.' But some of the House Republicans airing those warnings — many of them hardline conservatives — are also signaling that they will support the final product regardless of the changes made by the Senate, underscoring the pressure GOP lawmakers are under to approve one of Trump's top priorities and dulling the impact of the House members' requests. The president last week threatened to withhold support from any members who vote against the package, writing on Truth Social: 'It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill.' Asked on Tuesday if Senate changes to the package would make his support questionable, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, responded: 'Oh no.' 'We're gonna get something and we're going to make the start of the rescissions package,' he continued. 'There is another one coming. So yeah, I want the Senate to do their job and cut all the waste, fraud and abuse that's identified in this package, but it's the first of several.' Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) echoed that sentiment, predicting that the Senate will change the bill 'whether they should or not,' but concluding: 'I'm not worried about it being overly controversial.' Not all Republicans, however, say they are not willing to give the Senate a pass — at least for now. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said his vote for the package is questionable if the upper chamber makes changes. 'We kind of have an agreed-upon thing and I think we should stick together about what our goals and ambitions are and if we don't, they roll us, they'll roll us again,' he said. If they took out the PEPFAR or public broadcasting provisions, Burchett added, 'that would be bad.' If past is prologue, however, the Republicans urging the Senate not to change the bill — and warning that their support hinges on whether they follow those directions — will likely fall in line at the president's urging. Earlier this month, for example, a number of House Republicans were up in arms over changes the Senate made to the party's 'big, beautiful bill,' but all but two eventually fell in line. 'If anyone is thinking about voting no but has ever said that we've got to deal with the waste and the inefficiencies in government, then what's your problem?' Brecheen said. The House is currently scheduled to leave town on Thursday and be out of session on Friday, but the Senate delay is raising the possibility of the House sticking around to meet the rescissions deadline. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), though, did not directly say whether the House would add voting days to the end of the week. 'Obviously, the Senate's got some work to do on rescissions. I'd like to pass the bill, like the Speaker said, this week, as-is — then it goes straight to the President,' Scalise said. 'If they make any changes, we'll have to evaluate it, but we don't know what those changes would be, and we'll have to take a look and make a determination' 'But we also know there is a clock firmly before we leave at the end of this week that we have to get that bill on the President's desk, and we'll do that,' Scalise said. GOP leadership has already prepared a procedural mechanism that will allow them to move quickly: Tucked in the rule resolution setting up debate for unrelated cryptocurrency-related bills is a provision waiving the House rule requiring a two-thirds majority to consider the rescissions bill the same day it arrives back from the Senate.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE cuts are now a Trump loyalty test
The push to pass DOGE cuts through Congress only became more dramatic this week. Trump says anyone who doesn't support cuts to NPR and PBS won't have his support in the future. Meanwhile, lawmakers are warning that the cuts threaten the bipartisan government funding process. The push to get DOGE cuts passed through Congress is only becoming more dramatic. Senators still have questions about the $9.4 billion in cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting funding. Some are warning that passing the cuts, known as a "rescission," could upend bipartisan government funding negotiations. And now, President Donald Trump is turning the cuts, at least those that would affect PBS and NPR, into a political litmus test. "It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR)," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday night. "Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement." The package, which includes $1.1 billion in cuts for public broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign aid cuts, narrowly passed the House in June on a party-line vote. But multiple GOP senators have expressed concerns about the rescissions, which will impact HIV/AIDS prevention programs and could affect rural public radio stations. Senators may seek to amend the package when it comes up for a vote next week. A White House official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told BI that the administration wants senators to pass the rescission package in its current form. If the package is amended before passing the Senate, then it would need to pass the House again. And if no bill is approved by the end of the day on July 18, the administration will be required by law to spend all of that money. In addition to pressure from Trump, GOP senators will have to weigh an ultimatum from Senate Democrats. In a letter to colleagues this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that making the DOGE cuts on a party-line basis undermines efforts to fund the government for the next fiscal year. Because of the Senate's filibuster rule, it takes 60 votes to clear most bills through the upper chamber. That means that government funding bills are typically negotiated with significant input from both parties, with the minority often able to secure priorities that the majority party otherwise wouldn't support to ensure passage. But rescissions only take 51 votes, and the administration has said that this could be the first of several. That raises the possibility that Republicans could move to unilaterally defund Democratic priorities after government funding bills are passed in the future. "It is absurd for them to expect Democrats to act as business as usual and engage in a bipartisan appropriations process to fund the government, while they concurrently plot to pass a purely partisan rescissions bill to defund those same programs negotiated on a bipartisan basis behind the scenes," Schumer said in the letter. If lawmakers can't agree on how to fund the government in the coming fiscal year by September 30, a government shutdown would take place. Some Republican senators have acknowledged the validity of Democratic senators' argument. "If we get to the point where the Democrats look at this and say, 'We can put it in the bill, but they're not going to fund it, or they're not going to use it,' then there's no reason for them to work with us to get to 60 votes," Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota told BI last month. However, not every Republican is worried about the integrity of the current appropriations process, particularly those who remain concerned about high government spending. "The appropriations process should be undermined," Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told BI, saying the current process is "bankrupting" the country. "That needs to be busted up." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
DOGE cuts are now a Trump loyalty test
The push to get DOGE cuts passed through Congress is only becoming more dramatic. Senators still have questions about the $9.4 billion in cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting funding. Some are warning that passing the cuts, known as a "rescission," could upend bipartisan government funding negotiations. And now, President Donald Trump is turning the cuts, at least those that would affect PBS and NPR, into a political litmus test. "It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR)," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday night. "Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement." The package, which includes $1.1 billion in cuts for public broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign aid cuts, narrowly passed the House in June on a party-line vote. But multiple GOP senators have expressed concerns about the rescissions, which will impact HIV/AIDS prevention programs and could affect rural public radio stations. Senators may seek to amend the package when it comes up for a vote next week. A White House official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told BI that the administration wants senators to pass the rescission package in its current form. If the package is amended before passing the Senate, then it would need to pass the House again. And if no bill is approved by the end of the day on July 18, the administration will be required by law to spend all of that money. 'Absurd for them to expect Democrats to act as business as usual' In addition to pressure from Trump, GOP senators will have to weigh an ultimatum from Senate Democrats. In a letter to colleagues this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that making the DOGE cuts on a party-line basis undermines efforts to fund the government for the next fiscal year. Because of the Senate's filibuster rule, it takes 60 votes to clear most bills through the upper chamber. That means that government funding bills are typically negotiated with significant input from both parties, with the minority often able to secure priorities that the majority party otherwise wouldn't support to ensure passage. But rescissions only take 51 votes, and the administration has said that this could be the first of several. That raises the possibility that Republicans could move to unilaterally defund Democratic priorities after government funding bills are passed in the future. "It is absurd for them to expect Democrats to act as business as usual and engage in a bipartisan appropriations process to fund the government, while they concurrently plot to pass a purely partisan rescissions bill to defund those same programs negotiated on a bipartisan basis behind the scenes," Schumer said in the letter. If lawmakers can't agree on how to fund the government in the coming fiscal year by September 30, a government shutdown would take place. Some Republican senators have acknowledged the validity of Democratic senators' argument. "If we get to the point where the Democrats look at this and say, 'We can put it in the bill, but they're not going to fund it, or they're not going to use it,' then there's no reason for them to work with us to get to 60 votes," Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota told BI last month. However, not every Republican is worried about the integrity of the current appropriations process, particularly those who remain concerned about high government spending. "The appropriations process should be undermined," Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told BI, saying the current process is "bankrupting" the country. "That needs to be busted up."
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Trump Truth Social: Trump Blasts Big Bird as He Urges ‘Defunding' of PBS
Shares in NBC owner Comcast (CMCSA) switched off today after it was made very clear by President Trump that he isn't an avid viewer. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Rescissions Bill In a Truth Social Post, the President, perhaps tucked up in one of his many beds or curled up on one of his many gargantuan sofas, was clearly on the verge of throwing something very damaging towards his TV. 'It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together. Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' the President thundered. Lengthy Grudge The comments impacted much of the media sector. MSNBC is owned by Comcast whose shares fell 1%. CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) whose shares dropped 1%. Even one of Trump's favorities, Fox (FOX) fell 2.3%. Trump wants to rescind around $9.4 billion in already approved funding from foreign aid and public broadcasters including NPR and PBS. Trump and indeed the Republican party has long held a grudge against PBS wanting the private sector and not government to fund the broadcaster. Perhaps, he has a hidden childhood trauma as a result of watching Big Bird and his friends on the broadcaster's Sesame Street show? However, not all of the media ruffled Trump's feathers today. He praised USA Today after it swooned: 'Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize. He's achieved more than those who've won before.' Trump's reaction? 'So nice!' Is CMCSA a Good Stock to Buy Now? On TipRanks, CMCSA has a Moderate Buy consensus based on 9 Buy, 9 Hold and 1 Sell ratings. Its highest price target is $48. CMCSA stock's consensus price target is $39.62 implying a 13.17% upside.
Black America Web
4 days ago
- Business
- Black America Web
Trump: GOP Senators Who Don't Support Defunding NPR And PBS Won't Get My Endorsement
Source: Anadolu / Getty President Donald Trump is very good at bullying people. This week, Trump issued a strongarm threat to undecided Republican senators over a recession bill that would drastically cut public broadcasting. Either they vote to defund $1.1 billion in spending for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which oversees NPR and PBS, or when it comes time for their reelection they won't receive the president's support. Yep, you read that correctly. The president of the United States is running the White House much like the mafia, including creating a hit list of senators that don't support his bills. 'It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. 'Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement.' His social media post came after some in the Senate raised objections––mostly around defunding public broadcasting––including Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins of Maine, who faces reelection next year. 'Collins has expressed disapproval of cuts to global AIDS prevention funding and other health programs. She spoke at the Senate GOP's conference meeting on Wednesday as the party discussed possible tweaks to the package,' Politico reports. Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan and South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds have suggested a package amendment that would preserve funding for NPR and PBS stations. If three Republican senators vote against the bill then Vice President JD Vance would be forced to cast the tie-breaking vote. Politico notes, 'that the Senate is expected to vote on a rescissions package next week ahead of a July 18 deadline.' SEE ALSO Trump: GOP Senators Who Don't Support Defunding NPR And PBS Won't Get My Endorsement was originally published on
