A Senate panel challenged on a bipartisan basis the merits of cancelling billions of dollars in spending for foreign aid and public media as part of a contentious hearing Wednesday examining the White House's request for the cuts.
The House has already voted to claw back 9.4 billion as requested by President Donald Trump . Now, the Senate is preparing to take up the package with a July 18 deadline for action. If the Senate declines to approve a measure by then, the Trump administration must obligate and spend the funds in question.
Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, defended the proposed cuts, which are part of the administration's efforts to follow through on work done by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by billionaire ally Elon Musk .
"A vote for rescissions is a vote to show that the United States Senate is serious about getting our fiscal house in order," Vought told the lawmakers.
But senators from both parties voiced concerns about the president's request. Their skepticism suggests that some aspects of the package could be altered through the amendment process, or that perhaps the bill will falter entirely.
