Maine Senator Susan Collins was one of three Republicans to vote against the Trump administration’s spending bill last night, which advanced under a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance.
The bill would cut $9 billion in spending on foreign aid and Public Broadcasting and could get a final vote in the Senate today.
The bill has been put forth by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB), and some Congress members are saying they’re acquiescing their power of spending to the Executive Branch and President Trump.
Collins also voted against the bill earlier Tuesday in the Appropriations Committee, which she heads, calling it too vague.
“The rescissions package has a big problem – nobody really knows what program reductions are in it,” said Collins in a statement “That isn’t because we haven’t had time to review the bill. Instead, the problem is that OMB has never provided the details that would normally be part of this process.”
“Congress approves rescissions regularly. When we do it as part of the annual appropriations process, we do so with an understanding of what we are cutting. This was also the case in 1992, the last time Congress approved rescissions under the Impoundment Control Act. That just isn’t the case here.”
Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the other Republicans who voted against the package, which is also known as a rescission bill. The measure slices $8 billion in foreign assistance spending and $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS.
Collins has come out strongly against the cut to Public Broadcasting, saying it would be harmful to local rural broadcasters. “The excessive cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would harm local programming and the accessibility to popular programs like ‘Antiques Road Show’ and ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,'” said Collins.
Lawmakers stripped out one of the cuts to the spending plan that President Trump had asked for, $400 million to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Collins is happy with the exclusion. “I am pleased that the Administration has abandoned its original request to impose a $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the successful global AIDS prevention program that has saved 26 million lives and allowed nearly 8 million babies to be born HIV-free to mothers living with HIV,” Collins said.
