U.S. Senate passes $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcast funding

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that attempts to cut $9 billion (£6.7 billion) from previously approved funding spent on Congress, including cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid.

The 51-48 vote took place before dawn Thursday, after an hour and one night of “voting” when the Republican-led Senate negotiated an amendment.

The bill is a so-called revocation plan that allows Congress to back off approved funds — part of a larger effort to reduce President Donald Trump’s federal spending.

Now, it returns to the House, which has previously passed a version of the bill with a proposed cut of $9.4 billion.

“This is a small part of the way toward fiscal sanity, and we should all be able to agree that it should have agreed long ago,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said before the last vote.

Senators have previously disagreed with the bill’s proposal for a House version, which includes about $400 million in cuts for the U.S.-backed HIV/AIDS program Pepfar.

Republicans can The amendment is to retain funds In the budget.

However, dozens of other amendments to maintain international aid expenditures and public broadcast funding were rejected.

The Senate version of the bill approved Thursday will still cut about $8 billion from multiple aid programs, including the global health program under major U.S. charity USAID.

The bill would also cut more than $1 billion in public broadcasting from the company, disproportionately on radio stations that rural U.S. relies on.

Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska is one of two Republicans who voted against the bill with all Democrats in part because of cuts to public broadcasts.

The bill will next go to the House of Representatives to vote, and its path is unclear after a $400 million cut in a $400 million cut.

Asked about these changes, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: “We hope they don’t change it like us.”

Both the House and the Senate must agree on a revoking version of the plan before it expires on Friday, and Republicans have lost the opportunity to cut funds.