In voting for President Trump’s cancellation of $9 billion in spending they had already approved, Republicans in Congress showed they were willing to cede their power of the purse.
The bill to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending passed the Senate over the objections of Republicans who said it abdicated the legislative branch’s power of the purse.
In a letter to Senator Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota, the head of a network of Native radio and television stations said a deal to ostensibly protect tribal stations was unworkable.
Senator Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota, at center, had signaled his support for President Trump’s request to rescind money from public broadcasting was in doubt, only to reverse his position on Tuesday, sparking criticism from Native Public Media.
The president’s marquee policy legislation is best known for slashing taxes and cutting social safety net programs. But the sweeping measure also included many little-noticed goodies and add-ons.
A fishing boat in Metlakatla, Alaska. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska may have come away with the biggest pot of benefits narrowly targeted to her state.
The vote to take up legislation to rescind $9 billion in congressionally approved funds suggested that Republicans would bow to the president’s wishes in the simmering fight over spending powers.
Many Republicans initially balked at slashing $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds more than 1,500 public television and radio stations across the country, including NPR and PBS stations.
Many Republicans had harshly criticized President Trump’s marquee bill extending tax cuts and slashing social safety net programs — almost right up until the moment they voted for it.
Fiscal hawks have repeatedly threatened to bring down their party’s agenda out of debt fears, only to back down after pressure from party leaders and President Trump.
Representative Chip Roy, Republican of Texas, has said the Senate failed to improve a House bill that he described as a “mediocre but passable product.”
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