Vance Breaks Ties On Key Package
A high-stakes vote on a $9 billion rescissions package nearly fell apart this week in the Senate, as three Republican holdouts—Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—refused to back the legislation, forcing Vice President JD Vance to break a 50-50 tie to keep the measure alive.
NOW VOTING: Motion to discharge from Appropriations Committee H.R.4, Rescissions Act of 2025.
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) July 16, 2025
The bill, championed by the Trump administration, aims to slash discretionary spending, including deep cuts to foreign aid and long-controversial taxpayer funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio (NPR). The package marks one of the first major fiscal confrontations of the new administration, with implications for future budget reform.
BREAKING NEWS: JD Vance has cast the tie-breaking vote to advance the rescissions package in the Senate!
Republican Senators McConnell, Murkowski, and Collins voted NO.
NPR & PBS are one step closer to being DEFUNDED. pic.twitter.com/hUt91onaf8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 16, 2025
Despite being known for crossing the aisle on high-profile issues, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) aligned with Republican leadership on this vote, defying expectations that he might oppose cuts to public broadcasting. Some are now calling Tillis the “new John McCain,” given his emerging pattern of unpredictable positions, but on this issue, he held the line.
RESCISSIONS LATEST:
- As of this am, the votes were NOT YET solidified in the Senate to move forward with the pkg.
- But that is different than there being a strong group of hard no's.
- My reporting: senators are trying to figure out what changes could get the largest group.
1/— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) July 15, 2025
The Senate Republican conference faced internal divisions as leadership scrambled to salvage the package. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was forced to negotiate on key provisions, ultimately agreeing to remove $400 million in proposed cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to secure additional support. The move signaled both the fragile state of the Republican coalition and the White House’s willingness to compromise tactically to advance the broader agenda.
Murkowski on her opposition to rescission package: It you don't like what's going on within NPR and PR, you think that there's too much bias there. We can address that, we can address that...you don't need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity, the…
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) July 16, 2025
Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, expressed confidence following a closed-door meeting with GOP senators. “We’ve got the votes,” he said Tuesday afternoon, following a strategy session that recalibrated the package to avoid defections.
Murkowski: "I don't want us to go from one reconciliation bill to a recissions package to another recissions package to a reconciliation package to a continuing resolution ... I don't accept that. I'm going to be voting no"
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) July 16, 2025
Still, opposition from Murkowski remains firm. Her office confirmed she’s unwilling to support cuts to public media, despite the broader fiscal goals of the bill. “Senator Murkowski supports responsible budgeting, but she believes public broadcasting plays a vital role in remote and rural communities,” a spokesperson said.