In a stunning rebuke of President Trump’s America First agenda, Senator Mitch McConnell is once again breaking ranks — this time over a bold $9.4 billion cost-cutting plan that targets bloated foreign aid programs, liberal public broadcasting, and controversial global health initiatives.
At the center of the clash is a sweeping rescission package already passed by the House of Representatives. If the Senate fails to approve the measure by July 18, billions in taxpayer dollars will be automatically released — much of it headed overseas.
The Trump administration has made it clear: American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize programs that don’t put American interests first. Among the biggest targets:
- Over $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — the taxpayer-funded media arm behind left-leaning outlets like NPR and PBS
- Deep reductions in foreign disaster relief, hunger programs, and international HIV efforts
- Cuts to global health spending that critics say serve more to prop up foreign governments than protect American lives
But not everyone in the GOP is on board.
During a tense Senate hearing Wednesday, McConnell criticized Trump’s move as “unnecessarily chaotic,” warning it could “create vacuums” for adversaries like China to exploit.
“There’s no shortage of waste in foreign aid,” McConnell admitted. “But this plan may do more harm than good.”
Moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine also pushed back, defending public media and international health programs. She argued that cutting funding could damage America’s “soft power” and global image — even holding up food packets and prenatal vitamins as symbolic gestures.
Still, many conservatives see the pushback as typical of establishment Republicans who’ve long resisted Trump’s efforts to drain the swamp and rein in runaway spending.
According to the Trump administration, the real problem is spending that props up liberal institutions and globalist causes while ignoring the needs of the American worker.
“These programs are antithetical to American interests,” one senior White House official said. “And public media? It’s nothing more than a taxpayer-funded megaphone for left-wing ideology.”
This budget battle comes as the White House pushes its next major legislative goal — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which would increase immigration enforcement, expand border security, and make Trump’s tax cuts permanent. While some estimates suggest the plan could add $2.4 trillion to the national deficit over a decade, supporters argue that it’s a necessary trade-off to protect national sovereignty and restore economic growth.
With the July 18 deadline fast approaching, voters are watching closely. Will the Senate side with Trump and the millions of Americans tired of paying for foreign interests — or cave to pressure from the Washington establishment?
What this means for taxpayers:
If the Senate fails to act, $9.4 billion in taxpayer dollars will be spent — much of it on programs that critics say do little to benefit the average American.