The U.S. Senate will take up President Trump’s request to claw back more than $9 billion in congressionally approved spending, after Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie Tuesday to open debate on a rescission bill. The legislation is aimed at codifying cuts made by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to foreign aid, including lifesaving global health programs, emergency food and shelter assistance, peacekeeping and economic development. The bill would also eliminate all $1.1 billion allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the next two years, zeroing out federal funding to PBS, NPR and community TV and radio stations. PBS President Paula Kerger called the bill an “existential” threat for local stations. Democrats condemned the move as a power grab by President Trump. This is Michigan Democratic Senator Gary Peters.

Sen. Gary Peters: “Funding laws are still laws, and Congress passed these laws with bipartisan support to direct resources to these programs. No president gets unilateral say on how any law is implemented, and no president gets to overrule Congress’s bipartisan laws.”