Senate Republicans Trim Trump's Spending Cuts to Secure Votes

Senate Republicans are modifying a $9.4 billion spending cut proposal from President Donald Trump, aiming to pass it by Friday.

Key Changes and Votes

• $400 million for PEPFAR, a program fighting HIV/AIDS abroad, has been retained to secure enough votes.
• The program has saved many lives, making its removal unpopular.

The Senate might vote on this soon, but will they have enough support?

• Republicans hold 53 seats, but need 51 votes to pass the proposal.
• They plan to use a special process to avoid a filibuster.
• If they don't pass it by Friday, the White House will spend the money anyway.

Foreign Aid and Public Broadcasting Cuts

Most of the cuts are to foreign aid.

• They're also cutting $1.1 billion from public broadcasting.
• Some Republicans are unhappy about this, saying rural areas rely on these stations for important alerts.
• A deal was made to help Native American radio stations, which might win over some votes.

Democratic Opposition

Democrats are against these cuts, saying they could make future funding deals harder.

• They want to keep spending decisions bipartisan.
• But Republicans seem set on pushing this through.