Senate Republicans will scale back the White House’s $9.4 billion spending clawback request as they look to shore up their vote count.
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who is leading the rescissions effort in concert with the White House, said Republicans will remove a $400 million cut to the global AIDS program known as PEPFAR, bringing the total amount of cuts in the package down to $9 billion.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said there was a “lot of interest” among Senate Republicans to address the cut to the program created under President George W. Bush and credited with saving tens of millions of lives.
Schmitt’s announcement came after White House Budget Director Russ Vought briefed senators during a closed-door lunch. Schmitt said the White House is on board with the change.
In addition to preserving the PEPFAR funding, the revisions will include language to “protect” programs related to maternal health, malaria, tuberculosis and nutrition. The substitute negotiated by Schmitt and others will also explicitly state food aid will not be touched as part of the package. Those provisions will not change the new $9 billion topline, a person granted anonymity to disclose the private talks said.
“We’re fine with adjustments,” Vought told reporters. “This is still a great package, $9 billion, substantially the same package. The Senate has to work its will, and we’ve appreciated the work along the way to get to a place where they think they’ve got the votes.”
A number of GOP senators, including Appropriations Chair Susan Collins of Maine, had raised concerns about the AIDS funding cuts. It’s not clear whether the $400 million rollback will be enough to secure her vote but it might placate enough Republicans to eke the package through the Senate.
“Susan Collins was very vocal against it” inside the lunch, said one person granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting. “I don’t think you can win her over.”
Collins told reporters after the lunch that the White House still hasn’t given lawmakers enough specifics on what accounts would be slashed.
“It’s unclear to me how you get to $9 billion,” she said, adding that Vought has laid out only some programs he intends to “protect.”
Collins added she is “very pleased” that PEPFAR cuts are set to be removed from the package, but she said “there are other problematic parts of the rescission package” including the public broadcasting cuts Trump is seeking.
Other Republicans being closely watched are Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski , Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran .
Separately the administration won over South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds by promising to alleviate proposed cuts to public radio and television by funding tribal broadcasters through a separate program.
The Senate is scheduled to start voting on the rescissions package Tuesday afternoon. Schmitt said he expected the changes to be reflected in a final “wraparound” amendment offered during a marathon series of votes expected Wednesday.
Any changes to the Senate product will necessitate another House vote ahead of a Friday deadline for action on the request.
Calen Razor, Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.
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