Durbin Statement On Senate Passage Of Republicans' Rescissions Bill To Cut $9 Billion In Funding To Foreign Aid, Public Broadcasting
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting against President Trump’s and congressional Republicans’ rescissions package that claws back $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding that had been previously appropriated on a bipartisan basis. The bill passed with a vote of 51-48:
“Just two weeks after voting to rip health care away from 17 million Americans, congressional Republicans have yet again chosen their loyalty to President Trump over the interests of their constituents and the world’s poorest.
“President Trump and congressional Republicans will tell you this vote was about ‘cutting waste’ and ‘improving efficiency.’ But what is efficient about slashing funding for public broadcasting, a critical source of information and emergency alerts to Americans in rural areas? What is wasteful about supporting developing nations in building water infrastructure that provided more than 70 million people with first-time sustainable access to clean water?
“This rescissions package tarnishes America’s reputation as a global leader and further corrodes the institutions that Americans rely on for local news and emergency alerts.”
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