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| US Senate passes $9bn cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting funds for NPR and PBS | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Senate Majority Leader John Thune in the US Capitol on Wednesday | Senate Majority Leader John Thune in the US Capitol on Wednesday |
| The US Senate has passed a bill that seeks to cut $9bn (£6.7bn) from funds previously approved for spending by Congress, including cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid. | The US Senate has passed a bill that seeks to cut $9bn (£6.7bn) from funds previously approved for spending by Congress, including cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid. |
| The 51-48 vote happened just before dawn on Thursday, following an hours-long overnight "vote-a-rama", as the Republican-led Senate negotiated amendments. | The 51-48 vote happened just before dawn on Thursday, following an hours-long overnight "vote-a-rama", as the Republican-led Senate negotiated amendments. |
| The bill - a so-called rescissions package that allows Congress to claw back approved funding - is part of a larger effort to reduce federal spending by President Donald Trump. | The bill - a so-called rescissions package that allows Congress to claw back approved funding - is part of a larger effort to reduce federal spending by President Donald Trump. |
| It now returns to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress that had previously passed a version of the bill with $9.4bn in proposed cuts. | It now returns to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress that had previously passed a version of the bill with $9.4bn in proposed cuts. |
| "It's a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said before the final vote. | "It's a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said before the final vote. |
| Senators had previously disagreed over a proposition in the House version of the bill that would have included roughly $400m in cuts to Pepfar, the US-backed HIV/Aids programme. | Senators had previously disagreed over a proposition in the House version of the bill that would have included roughly $400m in cuts to Pepfar, the US-backed HIV/Aids programme. |
| Republicans were able to reach a majority after an amendment was made to keep the funding in the budget. | Republicans were able to reach a majority after an amendment was made to keep the funding in the budget. |
| However, dozens of other amendments to maintain international aid spending levels and funding for public broadcasting were rejected. | However, dozens of other amendments to maintain international aid spending levels and funding for public broadcasting were rejected. |
| The Senate version of the bill approved on Thursday would still cut roughly $8bn from multiple aid programmes, including global health programmes under USAID, the US's main philanthropic arm. | The Senate version of the bill approved on Thursday would still cut roughly $8bn from multiple aid programmes, including global health programmes under USAID, the US's main philanthropic arm. |
| The bill would also cut more than $1bn from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS as well as radio stations on which many rural Americans rely. | |
| Senator Lisa Murkowski, from Alaska, was one of two Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting against the bill, in part due to the cuts to public broadcasting. | Senator Lisa Murkowski, from Alaska, was one of two Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting against the bill, in part due to the cuts to public broadcasting. |
| The bill will next head to the House for a vote, where its path remains unclear after $400m was reduced from House-proposed spending cuts. | The bill will next head to the House for a vote, where its path remains unclear after $400m was reduced from House-proposed spending cuts. |
| When asked about the changes, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: "We wanted them to pass it unaltered like we did." | When asked about the changes, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: "We wanted them to pass it unaltered like we did." |
| Both the House and Senate must agree on a version of the rescissions package before it expires on Friday, and Republicans lose their chance to cut the funds. | Both the House and Senate must agree on a version of the rescissions package before it expires on Friday, and Republicans lose their chance to cut the funds. |