Vice President JD Vance cast a decisive tie-breaking vote late Tuesday, moving a Republican-led effort to enshrine $9.4 billion in spending cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) one step closer to becoming law.
The Senate narrowly passed a key procedural motion 51–50 after three Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Susan Collins (ME), and Mitch McConnell (KY) — sided with Democrats in opposing the measure. Vance’s appearance to break the tie kept the GOP initiative alive.
According to The Blaze, the DOGE cuts include $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, targeting outlets like PBS and NPR, which Republicans argue serve as taxpayer-funded arms of left-leaning ideology. An additional $8.3 billion would be cut from various foreign aid programs, including those under the U.S. Agency for International Development, which critics say fund progressive global initiatives.
Sen. Murkowski pushed back, claiming the White House is sidelining Congress in the process:
“We’re lawmakers. We should be legislating,” she told CNN. “What we’re getting now is a direction from the White House… I don’t accept that. I’m voting no.”’
However, other Republicans were swayed after securing concessions for their states. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), for example, reversed his opposition after ensuring continued funding for rural radio in South Dakota.
Debate on the bill is expected to continue Wednesday with a lengthy amendment process. A final Senate vote is scheduled for Friday. If passed, the bill would return to the House for final approval before heading to President Trump’s desk. Codifying the cuts into law would prevent a future administration from reversing them via executive order — a significant win for the Trump White House.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged the Senate to return the bill without changes, warning that any alterations could jeopardize its passage in the narrowly divided House.
