JD Vance was forced to cast a late-night tie-breaking vote in the Senate on Tuesday after multiple GOP Senators refused to back a Trump-backed bill, according to a new report.
The bill, also known as the rescissions package, includes funding cut requests for 22 items that lawmakers previously approved. It seeks to claw back more than $9 billion in funding meant for programs ranging from public media to foreign aid. A majority of the cuts are to foreign aid programs like PEPFAR, which prevents HIV and AIDS.
While the vote on Tuesday was procedural, it does save a piece of legislation supported by the president. The White House and GOP leadership are hoping to pass the final version of the bill by Friday, Axios reported.
The Senate passed the bill 51-50, including Vance's vote.
Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted against the bill, as did every Democrat.
Collins said she voted against the bill because she wanted more details about the cuts Trump requested, according to Axios. She also raised her concerns with Office of Management and Budget Director Russel Voght during a closed-door lunch this week, the outlet reported.
Defunding public media has been one of the Trump administration's primary goals in its second term. During the campaign, Trump said news outlets like NPR and PBS only cover Democrats fairly.
Multiple Republican members of Congress, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. James Comer (R-TN) have also called for public media to be defunded.
