The Senate took a key test vote Tuesday evening, barely eking out a win for President Donald Trump’s agenda in a 51-50 vote.
The One Big Beautiful Bill barely made it through the legislative process, but both the House and Senate managed to push it through just in time for President Trump’s signature on the 4th of July, marking a significant achievement for his administration.
However, the GOP couldn’t enjoy their victory for long. Immediately after the holiday, they had to tackle a rescissions package from the White House, which aimed to take back $9.4 billion in previously sanctioned expenditures. This package predominantly targeted foreign aid programs, accounting for about $8.3 billion, and sought to withdraw $1.1 billion from funds allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS.
In June, the House approved the rescissions package with a slim majority, passing it with a 214-212 vote. The Senate faces a deadline of Friday, July 18, to pass the measure, necessitating an initial vote on the motion to discharge the package and thereby proceed to a final vote on the Senate floor.
