How CA Senators Voted On $9B Bill Cutting Public Broadcasting, Foreign Aid

Both California senators voted against $9 billion in federal spending cuts, including deep reductions in public broadcasting and foreign aid, passed early Thursday by the Senate.

The legislation, one of President Donald Trump’s key priorities, would have a tiny impact on the nation’s rising debt but could have major ramifications for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and U.S. food aid internationally.

It also could complicate efforts to pass additional spending bills this year, as Democrats and even some Republicans voice objections to broadly ceding congressional spending power with little idea of how the White House Office of Management and Budget would apply the cuts.

Democrats sought to remove many of the proposed rescissions during the 12 hours of amendment votes. The measure passed on a vote of 51-48 just after 2 a.m. ET. None of the Democratic amendments were adopted.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against the legislation.

Democratic California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff both issued lengthy statements against the cuts.

“On the heels of giving away $4.5 trillion in tax breaks to corporations and billionaires, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are now claiming we can’t afford essential public broadcasting services and important foreign aid programs,” Padilla wrote.

“Republicans’ cuts to public broadcasting will put lives at risk by undermining the last line for lifesaving emergency alerts in so many communities across the country, just days after the devastating floods in Texas. At the same time, their cuts to foreign aid will end low-cost, high-impact programs while undermining U.S. national security, creating a vacuum in global leadership that China and Russia are more than happy to fill.”

“Now, Donald Trump wants to add to the terrible cuts in his big ugly bill, with a smaller ugly bill that will gut funding for public broadcasting in rural communities across America, take valuable educational resources away from millions of children, sabotage our efforts to protect global health, attack HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Ebola, malaria and other diseases, and cede our nation’s leadership in the world to China and other adversaries,” Schiff wrote.

“For the sake of the millions who will be harmed by this bill, and to preserve our Constitutionally-mandated separation of powers, I voted against this measure.

“The Senate just approved a rescissions package that goes against the will of the American people … These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,” said PBS President & CEO Paula Kerger in a statement.

If the House passes the bill, it would go to Trump’s desk for his signature.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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